What is a Dental Implant?

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Approximately 178 million people in the United States are missing one or more teeth. This can affect speech, appearance, facial structure and eating. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is carefully placed to hold a replacement tooth or to help to stabilize a denture or partial.

One of the benefits of dental implants is they don’t rely on neighboring teeth for support, and they are a final restoration that is very stable. Dental implants are a good solution for tooth loss. When they are placed properly they heal and become part of the body, and look and feel like natural teeth.

Implants are made from different types of metallic and bone-like ceramic materials that are compatible with body tissue. There are different types of dental implants. One type replaces the natural tooth root with an artificial root. Another type holds a denture or partial in place.

The surface of a dental implant is engineered to look microscopically like bone structure. An artificial socket which mimics the dental implant is created and placed and your body heals to it — similar to the way a broken bone heals.

Speak with your dentist about whether you are a dental implant candidate. You must be in good health, have the proper bone structure and have healthy gums for the dental implant to stay in place. People who are unable to wear dentures may also be good candidates. If you suffer from chronic problems such as clenching or bruxism, or systemic diseases such as diabetes, the success rate for dental implants decreases. Additionally, people who smoke or drink alcohol excessively may not be good candidates. However, most people are able to receive a dental implant.

What it takes to implant

First, the dentist will place the “artificial root” in your mouth. You may choose sedation if you have dental anxiety; however, many people find dental implants can be placed with local anesthetic only. The placement of dental implants is very well-tolerated if expertly placed. Once the dental implant heals, it is exposed and impressions are taken so the final dental restorations can be fabricated. Sometimes, if a patient has good bone quality, posts can be placed and replacement teeth fitted in one appointment. Most patients return to work and regular activities the same day.

Dental implants can replace all your teeth in one day or take several months if extensive reconstruction is necessary. Each patient heals differently and healing time will vary. After the dental implants and posts are placed, the healing process can take up to six months. The fitting of replacement teeth may take from two weeks up to two months, depending on how well you heal and other factors. Doing things in the best interest of the person is the most important consideration.

Dental implants are generally very successful. The success rate depends on the tooth’s purpose and location in the mouth, as well as a patient’s overall health and compliance with follow-up maintenance.

The cost of dental implants depends on many factors and should be considered an investment in your body’s overall health. There is no “one price fits all.” Your dentist should develop a plan that is affordable and in your best interest. Some dental procedures and portions of the restoration may be covered by dental insurance and medical insurance policies. Financing options are also something to consider. Your dentist’s office can help you with this process.

Maintenance and follow-up care is extremely important in order to make sure your dental implants remain successful. You should make sure that the dentist you select is able to provide preventative follow-up care.

Here are some questions to ask a dentist:

• How many dental implants have you placed?

• How much experience do you have placing dental implants?

• What is your success rate with dental implants?

• Will your office be able to provide the necessary follow-up maintenance for my dental implants?

• Will your office help me maximize my dental/medical health insurance benefits and help with financing?

By Dr. Patrick S. Cieplak

https://www.somdnews.com/independent/spotlight/what-is-a-dental-implant/article_18256078-3c17-5278-a8b7-709adc8bf296.html

Are your teeth looking longer? You may have gum recession

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Are your teeth sensitive and looking longer? You may have gingival recession. A gum graft is one of the most common procedures completed by a Periodontist who specializes in the supporting structures of the tooth including bone and gums. Dr. Liszka is a board certified Periodontist - give us a call to book a consultation and he can recommend the best option for you.

Brushing your teeth really does protect against Alzheimer's disease

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Here is another article demonstrating how important your oral health is for your OVERALL health. If you haven’t had a dental check up or cleaning in a while, get in touch! We offer cleanings at our office, and Dr. Liszka is a Periodontist, who can perform a comprehensive evaluation of the health of your gums. No referral required.

Myths about Root Canals

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Root Canal treatment causing illness is a false claim based on poor research done over 100 years ago! There is no scientific research linking root canal treatment to disease elsewhere in the body.

Book a consult with Dr. McKenzie who specializes in root canals specifically! She will walk you through treatment options and answer any questions you have regarding root canals and the effect they have on your health.

Blue Jean Ball - Stampede 2018

To show our appreciation to our amazing referring offices and patients, Dr. Liszka and Dr. McKenzie hosted our first Stampede party this year. As a result a large donation was made to Wood's Homes, a charity that Dr. Liszka and Dr. McKenzie are very passionate about and support regularly. It was a great evening full of amazing food, entertainment and dancing. We were also able to give away a ton of great prizes. Thank you to all who attended!

2018 Hygiene Appreciation Night

Thank you to all of the Hygienists who attended our annual appreciation night. Such a great group within our industry and we are privileged to be able to host you as often as we do. Dr. Luke Liszka lectured on indications for immediate implant placement while Dr. Erin McKenzie spoke on procedural advancements in Endodontic microsurgery. We finished off with a passionate presentation on Oral Cancer screening by Debbie Zafiropolous. Already looking forward to next year! 

2017 Hygiene Appreciation Night

A big thank you to all the Calgary and area Hygienists who attended this years event, the turnout was amazing. Dr. Luke Liszka's lecture 'Treating Gingival Recession with Tissue Grafting' and Dr. Erin Mckenzie's lecture 'Root Canal Emergencies and When to Refer' were a great end to the evening. We hope to expand this event even further next year and look forward to hosting many of you at our upcoming Hygiene Study Club.

Enjoy the photos of our night together!

2nd Annual Hygiene Appreciation Night

 Join us on March 16 at 6:00pm as we welcome all Calgary and area hygienists to our 2nd annual Hygiene Appreciation Night at Saltlik Steakhouse. Massage Therapists and Nail Estheticians are provided as well as complimentary champagne and buffet as a…

 

Join us on March 16 at 6:00pm as we welcome all Calgary and area hygienists to our 2nd annual Hygiene Appreciation Night at Saltlik Steakhouse. Massage Therapists and Nail Estheticians are provided as well as complimentary champagne and buffet as a small thank you to all of the hard working hygienists that make our industry great. Following dinner Dr. Mckenzie and Dr. Liszka will speak on Endodontic and Periodontic topics for CE credit. We look forward to seeing you!

Please RSVP to Stephen Torriero at stephen@endoperiocalgary.com or call 403-263-8939

 

A Very Merry Endo Perio Calgary Christmas!

During the month of December, we had the privilege of having one of Santa's helpers deliver some Christmas joy to dental offices around Calgary. He drove around in his red sleigh to over 95 offices to express our gratitude to the offices we work closely with. We truly appreciate the relationships we have with dentists in the Calgary area, and look forward to a great 2017! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Endo Perio Calgary.

Please enjoy some photos of Santa's trip: 

MYTH!!! - Root Canal Treatment Can Cause Illness

There is no valid, scientific evidence linking root canal-treated teeth and disease elsewhere in the body. A root canal is a safe and effective procedure. 

Myth—Root canal treatment causes illness. 

Myth #2—Root canal treatment causes illness.

The myth: Patients searching the Internet for information on root canals may find sites claiming that teeth receiving root canal (endodontic) treatment contribute to the occurrence of illness and disease in the body. This false claim is based on long-debunked and poorly designed research performed nearly a century ago by Dr. Weston A. Price, at a time before medicine understood the causes of many diseases. 

In the 1920s, Dr. Price advocated tooth extraction—the most traumatic dental procedure—over endodontic treatment. This resulted in a frightening era of tooth extraction both for treatment of systemic disease and as a prophylactic measure against future illness. 

The truth: There is no valid, scientific evidence linking root canal-treated teeth and disease elsewhere in the body. A root canal is a safe and effective procedure. When a severe infection in a tooth requires endodontic treatment, that treatment is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth and save the natural tooth. 

·         The presence of bacteria in teeth and the mouth has been an accepted fact for many years. But the presence of bacteria does not constitute "infection" and is not necessarily a threat to a person's health. Bacteria are present in the mouth and teeth at all times, even in teeth that have never had a cavity or other trauma. Research shows that the healthy immune system takes care of bacteria in a matter of minutes.

·         Tooth extraction is a traumatic procedure and is known to cause a significantly higher incidence of bacteria entering the bloodstream; endodontic treatment confined to the root canal system produces much less trauma and a much lower incidence and magnitude of bacteria entering the blood stream.

·         There is no adequate replacement for the natural tooth - it should be saved whenever possible. Root canal treatment, along with appropriate restoration, is a cost effective way to treat infected teeth because it is usually less expensive than extraction and placement of an implant. In most cases, endodontic treatment allows patients to keep their natural teeth for a lifetime.

But what about Dr. Price? This is a good example of how the Internet can give new life to long-dispelled theories. Believe it or not, the misinformation about roots canals that is found on the Internet is still based on Dr. Price’s century-old, discredited research. Dr. Price’s research techniques were criticized at the time they were published, and by the early 1930s, a number of well-designed studies using more modern research techniques discredited his findings. In 1951, the Journal of the American Dental Association took the extraordinary step of publishing a special edition reviewing the scientific literature and shifted the standard of practice back to endodontic treatment for teeth with non-vital pulp in instances where the tooth could be saved. The JADA reviewed Dr. Price’s research techniques from the 1920s and noted that they lacked many aspects of modern scientific research, including absence of proper control groups and induction of excessive doses of bacteria.

As recently as 2013, research published in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, found that patients with multiple endodontic treatments had a 45 percent reduced risk of cancer.

References

2016 Straumann VIP Experience in Boston, MA

Over the September 30th weekend, Dr. Luke Liszka, Dr. Erin McKenzie, Dr. Leah Mortimer, Erin Derraugh, and Wade Klimpke attended the "Straumann VIP Experience". This was a trip that included a lecture by Dr. Robert Vogel on Precision, Productivity and Profitability of Implant Prosthetics in Private Practice, a tour of the Straumann manufacturing facility, and plenty of opportunities to learn more about implant technology. Our doctors were invited to this event because Dr. Liszka is the leading dental implant specialist for Straumann in Canada. 

 

Endo Perio Calgary Spear Study Club Party

On September 22nd 2016, a group of 30 dentists from around the Calgary area gathered at Trolley 5 for a "Spear Study Club" party hosted by Dr. Liszka and Dr. McKenzie. We all enjoyed a brewery tour, great food, and a very informative lecture on Implant Opportunities in Hygiene by Dr. Liszka and Dr. McKenzie. We want to thank all who came, and look forward to all the new members! For those who could not make it, and want information about the club, please contact Sean Quinn at sean@endoperiocalgary.com.

Endo Perio Calgary CE Lunch & Learn Program

Looking for an opportunity to learn about a variety of topics in the endodontic and periodontal world? We have you covered! Endo Perio Calgary is offering multiple educational sessions to cover the questions and concerns you may have relating to tre…

Looking for an opportunity to learn about a variety of topics in the endodontic and periodontal world? We have you covered! Endo Perio Calgary is offering multiple educational sessions to cover the questions and concerns you may have relating to treatments, implants, bone grafting, root canals, and so much more! If this sounds like something you might be interested in learning more about, contact Sean Quinn at 403-466-2991 to be registered for one of the many CE topics that are available.  

#EndoPerioLunchAndLearn

6 Habits That Wreck Your Teeth

We all have nasty habits that can damage our teeth. Some are fairly obvious, like chewing on ice, grinding our teeth (either while awake or asleep), or chewing hard candy, but some are more subtle. Here are a few things you may be doing that could send you to the dentist more often than necessary.

Grinding teeth can cause issues like cracked teeth, gum recession, and TMJ issues. We offer some innovative treatments to help relax your muscles.

Tooth discoloration can be easily treated with our in-office whitening system. We offer free consultations for in-office whitening!

Tongue piercings often cause damage to teeth and can create significant recession. This can often be corrected with a simple gum graft!

Read The Article Here

www.EndoPerioCalgary.com

Hygiene Appreciation Night

Thank you all for coming to our hygiene appreciation night! We appreciate you all coming. Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions about Dr. Erin McKenzie's lecture "Root Canal Therapy: Diagnosing Endodontic Symptoms" or Dr. Luke Liszka's lecture "Treatment of Periodontal Defects with Enamel Matrix Derivative" or would like to come by for a tour of our facility.

www.EndoPerioCalgary.com