Dental Implants in Maryville & for Knoxville & Alcoa TN
Pro Tips to Guide Your Treatment Selection | Dental Implant Procedure | Links of Interest
Dental implants are changing the way people live! With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life.
Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved.
A dental implant is a tiny surgical post made of titanium that replaces the damaged root of a missing tooth. Since it is a permanent anchor, it allows Dr. Lindahl to attach a crown, bridge, or denture in a stable and lifelike way.
Implants can be used as a one tooth solution or as a way to stabilize your dentures so that you no longer need adhesives. Implants are considered to be the very best method of replacing a tooth due to the stability and longevity they provide. Our patients say that the best part of having implants is that they look and feel “real” and provide the most natural-feeling stability for biting chewing, and supporting the facial structure of their lips and mouth. They also prevent the bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing.
Rediscover Your Smile at Rolling Hills Dental. A Dental Experience You Can Feel Great About. Call Rolling Hills Dental Office Phone Number 865-983-4444 Today
Curious to find out what missing teeth solution is right for you? Check out Dr. Lindahl’s Important Tips to Know When Searching for Solutions to Missing Teeth.
Curious about your best options for missing teeth? Here’s 3 Pro Tips to help guide you in your treatment selection process.
1. Ask About Skills and Experience
Chances are, you already have a dentist and are perfectly happy, but when it comes to dental implants, you’ll need to find out if he or she is proficient in the restorative dentistry skills that are required.
2. Ask How Many Cases They Completed Last Year
If your dentist is not an ASIRD Member, be sure to ask how many dental implant cases he/she completed last year. Ask about the surgeon who will be placing your implant. Do they collaborate together as a team? Or are you simply being referred to the surgeon for the placement and then directed back to your dentist to finish restoration?
3. Ask If They Are Part of A Rigorous Peer Review Process
ASIRD dentists are required to restore a minimum of five dental implant cases each year in order to maintain their membership. They must also complete extensive didactic and hands-on clinical training in technology, aesthetics and dental health. ASIRD dentists complete a rigorous clinical peer review process, which requires a high degree of commitment and skill.
As continuing member of the Knoxville Oral Synergy Training Program (STP Residency) led by Southeast Oral Surgery, paneled by our surgery partners, and sponsored by Zimmer Biomet and other cutting-edge labs and product innovators; Dr. Lindahl makes a consistent effort along with his team to benchmark the shared insights of his fellow physicians, surgeons, specialists, branded product and lab partners, to stay abreast of current and emerging best practices in regard to all the latest tools and materials that are presently the most beneficial and advanced options when treating dental implant cases.
Evaluation for Dental Implants
If, like many others, you feel implant dentistry is the choice for you, we ask that you undergo a dental/radiographic examination and health history. During these consultation visits, your specific needs and considerations will be addressed by either Dr. Lindahl or by an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon referred by our practice. Your questions and concerns are important to us and our team will work with you very closely to help make your procedure a success.
Dental Implant Procedure in maryville, TN
For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, dental implants are placed within your jaw bone. For the first three to six months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums, gradually bonding with the jaw bone. You should be able to wear temporary dentures and eat a soft diet during this time. At the same time, your restorative dentist designs the final bridgework or denture, which will ultimately improve both function and aesthetics.
After the dental implant has bonded to the jaw bone, the second phase begins. The surgeon will uncover the implants and attach a small healing collar. Dr. Lindahl can then start making your new teeth. An impression must be taken. Then posts or attachments can be connected to the implants. The replacement teeth are then made over the posts or attachments. The entire procedure usually takes six to eight months. Most patients do not experience any disruption in their daily life.
If you are preparing for Dental Implants in Eastern TN, Knoxville TN, Maryville TN, Alcoa TN, and surrounding areas, here are some excellent tips to help you educate yourself and your loved ones on the treatment preparation options available to you.
Preparing for Dental Implants
While dental implants stand as the gold standard for dental reconstructions, there are certain factors that can keep patients from receiving more immediate treatment. Issues like gum disease, bone density, and teeth clenching complicate the healing process and long term success of dental implants. However, at Rolling Hills Dental, we want you to consider the following pre-implant treatments that can help qualify you to receive a dental implant.
Repairing Gum Disease
The effects of the first stage of gum disease—gingivitis—are reversible, and can be treated through routine cleanings and good at-home maintenance, allowing you to return to proper gum health. With later stages of gum disease—periodontitis—the damage done to the supporting bone structure and gums is permanent. If you exhibit advanced levels of gum disease, scaling and root planing can help you to achieve the healthy gums necessary to receive dental implants. There are even options available if you have lost bone density due to periodontitis.
Restoring Bone Density
Dental implants rely on a certain level bone density to support the integration of the implant post into the bone. This process of osseointegration relies on the jaw bone to be able to fully integrate biocompatible titanium rods to ensure that your implant is secure, and acts like the root of a natural tooth. However, if you have experienced bone loss due to the loss of teeth or periodontitis, there are treatments that will enable you to support implants. Bone grafting procedures will bolster your jaw strength, allowing you to support implants that can properly integrate into the bone. Procedures like sinus lifts will enable patients without the right amount of bone structure for implants to be placed, to expand the available bone by their molars, and restore balance to their bites.
Relieving Clenched and Grinding Teeth
If you clench your teeth at night or during the day, you run the risk damaging an implant before it heals, or breaking the teeth surrounding an implant that has been placed. While the crowns of implants are generally able to withstand the pressure of a bruxism, this can complicate the healing process and will slowly wear on the shape of the restoration, as it would with natural teeth. If you know that you are a habitual tooth grinder, or clench at night, look into getting a night guard, or a guard for daytime teeth clenching. This can not only help you to qualify for dental implants, but will help you maintain the health and aesthetics of your natural teeth.
Prepare for Your Dental Implant Today
If you are looking to begin restoring your smile with dental implants, contact our Rolling Hills Treatment Coordinator to schedule your examination today Rolling Hills Dental Office Phone Number 865-983-4444.
Dr. Marty Lindahl, and the Rolling Hills Dental staff are proud to offer innovative implant solutions to patients from in and around the Maryville, Knoxville, Alcoa, Blount County, Knox County, and surrounding areas.
LINKS OF INTEREST
The following websites are provided as a resource for patients. This page contains hyperlinks to World Wide Web sites that are created and maintained by other organizations. We have included these links because we think that our patients may find them of interest. Keep in mind that Marty W. Lindahl, DDS and Rolling Hills Dental do not necessarily endorse the views expressed on these websites. Also, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented on these sites.
DENTAL LINKS
WebDental – American based dental database
RESEARCH AND LIBRARY LINKS
University of Tennesse Medical Center
MedicineNet – Content-rich commercial site includes interactive groups, ask-the-doctor feature, medical dictionary, comprehensive drug information, medical news, disease-specific information, and links.
Medscape – Searchable commercial collection of full-text articles from such useful sources as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Oncolink – Huge collection of cancer information and links based at the University of Pennsylvania. The best starting place found for cancer information.
Healio – Physician maintained commercial database of annotated health links. Oriented toward medical professionals, but accessible to an educated lay person. A keyword search gets you to a subject index, from which you navigate to the links you want.
JOURNALS
American Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
New England Journal of Medicine
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Academy of Dermatology
American Academy of Restorative Dentistry
American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons – find information about oral and maxillofacial surgery including cancer, dental implants, sports safety, jaw surgery, and more.
American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American College of Prosthodontics
American Dental Association – ADA Online – access to news, publications, and products and services related to dental health.
American Medical Association – another useful site with links to consumer health information, searchable database of more than 650,000 physicians
American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists
Center for Reconstructive Jaw Surgery
International Association of Dental Research
Second District Dental Society
Tennessee Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
IMPLANT MANUFACTURER LINKS
If you would like to schedule a free preliminary consultation with Dr. Lindahl, fill out our Smile Concierge Questionnaire and we will contact you. *Comprehensive exam scheduled separately, upon request.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lindahl to discuss your implant options, call or text Rolling Hills Dental Office Phone Number 865-983-4444. For hygiene appointments click here to instantly view availability.