Friday, September 25, 2015

Repairs for Damaged or Failing Dental Implants

Dental implants provide patients with strong new teeth that look and feel just like their own teeth. Implants can be topped with dental crowns, bridges, or dentures, depending on how many teeth in your smile are missing. While implants are durable, the crown, bridge, or denture of your implant can sustain damage as a result of an accident or if put under frequent, heavy stress through night time teeth grinding or bad habits like chewing on fingernails.

Repairing and Replacing Broken Prosthetics

Restoring the function and appearance of damaged implant-supported teeth is often a simpler process than fixing traditional tooth replacements, like bonded dental bridges. Only the prosthetic needs to be removed and replaced. The implant itself remains as-is while we create a brand new restoration to help your smile look its best. Our dental prosthetics are made to withstand the pressure of everyday oral function, as well as the pressure from bruxism (teeth grinding). We take care to ensure that your implant crown is properly cemented in place so you can enjoy longer-lasting restorations.

The Importance of Using Replacement Teeth with a Metal Substructure

On top of the dental implant post is an attachment piece called an abutment. The abutment holds your dental crown or other prosthetic securely in place and is often made from metal. We use metal-based crowns, which are compatible with the metal abutment and provide a strong and durable base for your replacement teeth.

Problems with Osseointegration

In rare cases, the implant post itself may be the reason why your dental prosthetic is causing problems for oral function. This typically occurs when the implant has not been placed in an area where bone is dense and healthy, which interferes with the bonding process. Failed osseointegration isn’t common. We work with a local oral surgeon to ensure that your implant is placed properly. However, if you are experiencing any problems with your implant-supported teeth, we can pinpoint the source of the issue and work with a specialist for repairs, if needed.

If you have a bothersome dental implant or implant crown, contact our Shoreline, WA implant dentist to learn more about how we can repair and replace implant-supported teeth.

Monday, September 14, 2015

When Do I Need a Dental Crown?

Dental crowns are able to restore a tooth that has experienced severe decay above the gum line. In preparation for a crown, your natural tooth is prepared and once the crown is fabricated it is cemented over the tooth to regain strength and appear healthy.

However, there are times when dental crowns aren’t necessary depending on the amount of healthy enamel present on a tooth.  The philosophy of conservative dentistry practiced at our Shoreline dental office means only removing and treating as much tooth structure as needed. You may not need a dental crown in the following circumstances:

Small Spots of Decay

Patients know this dental problem as a cavity. Very small spots of decayed dental enamel can be treated with tooth-colored composite resin.

Decayed Walls of Teeth

Tooth decay starts out small and spreads, causing increasing damage to enamel as it goes. But it can be stopped in it tracks without the need for preparing the entire tooth. If decay has damaged the outer sides of teeth an onlay can be used to replace this portion of dental enamel and strengthen the teeth.

Dental Decay on the Center of Tooth Enamel

When decay is localized on the top center of your natural tooth and hasn’t affected outer walls of your tooth an inlay can be used. Inlays, like onlays, are made from tooth-colored porcelain and allow Dr. Stanley to only remove and restore the affected areas of dental enamel.

Deciding Which Restoration is Best

Our cosmetic and restorative dental office helps find the right restoration to meet your needs and ensure that decay does not further damage healthy tooth structure. We provide porcelain inlays, onlays, and dental crowns to help restore damaged teeth. If you have questions about getting a dental crown or any other restoration, please contact our Shoreline, WA dental office for your consultation.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Snoreguards vs. CPAP

If you have sleep apnea or snoring issues, you have more than one option for treatment. Many sleep apnea patients find relief with the aid of custom oral appliances, like snoreguards.  Compared with the old stand-by treatment of CPAP machines, snoreguards offer improvements in sleep therapy, which include:

Shorter Adjustment Periods

CPAP stops the problem of sleep disordered breathing by pushing a stream of air through the mask appliance and into passageways. While this is effective, it’s not something that every patient easily adjusts to experiencing. The feeling of forced air can sometimes make it hard to sleep, and the facemask can prove to be bulky. Snoreguards look like a retainer and do not involve the use of face masks or forced air, making the change in your daily sleep habit much easier to incorporate into your routine.

Improved Portability

Snoreguards are easily transported wherever you need to go via a small, palm-sized container. CPAP machines contain several bulky parts that don’t make traveling convenient or easily managed. Traveling with CPAP also requires that you have access to an outlet, so the device can be plugged in and charged. Bringing a snoreguard or sleep apnea appliance with you on trips does not require extra luggage or to accommodate your sleep therapy device.

Increased Comfort

Many patients do not like CPAP therapy, as wearing the device involves adjusting straps to fit around your head to hold the facemask in place. Because of the facemask, CPAP patients sometimes struggle to find a comfortable sleep position and often cannot sleep on their stomachs. Snoreguards make it so that you can sleep in any position that’s comfortable for you and still enjoy easier breathing.

Both snoreguards and CPAP machines are able to provide effective therapy for sleep disordered breathing and snoring. However, many patients find snore guards to be the more comfortable and convenient approach to care. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea or suffer from snoring, contact our Shoreline, WA dental office to learn more about snoreguards for sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Welcome to our blog!

We're excited to announce the official launch of our Dr. Steven M. Stanley blog.

We'll be posting helpful dental tips, news from the dental industry, news from our practice, and more about the latest in dentistry.

We built our practice on the notion that we're there for our patients when they need us and we want our online presence to be a reflection of that principle. We hope this blog provides an extra level of service to our current and future patients.

If you would like to stay up to date on the latest from Dr. Steven M. Stanley, simply click the RSS “Subscribe to feed” link located on our website and subscribe.