Archive

Dental Implants: What You Need to Know

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants may be an option for people who have lost a tooth (or teeth) due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason. What are the advantages of an implant over a […]

Peri-Implant Disease: What youCan Do About It

As you know, peri-implantitis, much like periodontitis, is a condition that affects the tissues surrounding a functional implant. It is characterized by inflammatory reactions with loss of supporting bone in the tissues surrounding a functioning implant. Patients with timely periodontal treatment have more successful outcomes. As a general dentist, you and your hygienists are often […]

Accidental Discovery: Platform Switching

Have you heard the story behind platform switching? More importantly, have you heard how platform switching has benefited implant patients? Platform switching is a method used to preserve the alveolar bone levels around dental implants. The concept refers to placing restorative abutments of narrower diameters on implants of wider diameter, rather than placing abutments of […]

New Research: Rethinking Visiting the Dentist

See for yourself results that can be found from LANAP. New X-rays taken before and after LANAP treatment on one of my patients shows improvement in two different areas with severe periodontitis. In my office, I have used LANAP to treat over 300 patients. Most of my patients have experienced tremendous results from the procedure, […]

Proper Care Critical to Maintaining Dental Implants

Dental hygienists are the first line of defense against peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. The best initial course of action is nonsurgical periodontal therapy with either ultrasonic or hand instrumentation or a combination of both. In addition to professional maintenance, much of the long-term success of dental implant therapy hinges on effective self-care. Be sure to […]

How LANAP Technology Treats Periodontitis

As we’ve previously discussed, laser-assisted new attachment procedure (the LANAP protocol) is a surgical therapy designed for the treatment of periodontitis through regeneration rather than resection. This therapy and the laser used to perform it have been in use for more than a decade now. LANAP was developed to achieve consistently effective and predictable outcomes. […]

New Hope for Patients Ineligible for Dental Implants

Elderly people, people with osteoporosis, smokers, diabetics or people who have had cancer are sometimes not eligible to receive dental implants as their bones are unable to correctly integrate the new prostheses which replace the root. Researchers at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Castellón de la Plana, Spain have developed an implant coating with […]

New Discovery – Bacteria that Causes Gum Disease Impacts Immune System

New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows the bacteria known for causing gum disease – Porphyromonas gingivalis–manipulates the body’s immune system. The report shows how the P. gingivalis disables normal processes that would otherwise destroy the bacteria. Specifically, the report shows that this pathogen prompts the production of the anti-inflammatory molecule Interleukin-10 […]

Critical Information Dental Hygienists Need to Know When Maintaining Dental Implants

More than 5.5 million dental implants have been placed in the United States. Research shows the technique yields a high rate of success and while a boon to esthetic dentistry, the benefits of dental implant therapy reach well beyond good looks. Replacing a single tooth with an implant, for example, means that adjacent healthy teeth […]

New “Parochip” Detects Periodontitis Fast and Leads to Early Detection

In the fight against gum disease (periodontitis), a new tool is making detection faster and easier than ever. The laser diode driven lab-on-a-chip is available to help detect the presence of some of the types of bacteria that causes the disease. A new mobile diagnostic platform driven by a laser diode, it can identify the […]