Winning Smiles – Carmel Dental Care
Carmel Dental Care
I grew up in Carmel and attended all Carmel schools, so after graduating from the Indiana School of Dentistry it was a natural transition for me to return here. I’ve since joined Dr. Sandra Bacon, my childhood dentist, who has a state-of-the-art practice and a caring, professional staff. They have welcomed me into the family. It was during my junior year in college that I decided on dental school as opposed to medical school. I love dentistry for many reasons, but the opportunities to develop lasting relationships with patients and to implement the fine detail and artistry it encompasses are what attracted me most.
As a recent graduate, I find the strides that have been made in implant dentistry completely fascinating. Essentially, implants replace missing teeth. First, a small surgery is completed in which the implant is placed into the jaw bone. The surrounding bone must then incorporate into grooves within the implant in a process called “osseointegration.” Following this, a dentist will design a crown that matches the adjacent teeth in color, shape and size. This crown will be cemented to an abutment piece that is placed within the implant. The result is a completely functional, aesthetic and long-lasting replacement.
Besides individual tooth replacement, implants are also extremely beneficial in denture treatment. Implant-supported overdentures involve the placement of a few implants into the jaw bone. The denture then essentially snaps into the implants, providing increased denture stability.
The implant procedure takes approximately 3 – 4 months, with some case-based variation. During this time the patient may have a temporary tooth replacement so as to not go without a tooth during the osseointegration process. Dental implants have been around for decades, though technology has made great strides in its implementation. Historically, implants have a 95% + success rate, and they can last for over 40 years.
Patients can expect the implant to completely restore function to their dentition, just as a natural tooth would. Also, the aesthetics of an implant are second only to that of a natural tooth, and most times it is very difficult for the untrained eye to tell an implant from a natural one. Most importantly, implants can return absolute confidence to a smile, and thus, an individual. I look forward to many years of helping patients in my practice experience the best in modern dentistry.
Written by Jaclyn M. Rickoff, DDS
