What are Implant-Stabilized Dentures?

Fort Collins dentures secured with implants

What are dentures secured by implants?

Dentures secured by implants are permanent dentures held in place with permanent metal screws or posts. The metal posts are also called tooth implants or dental implants. Dental implants can be used in many different ways. In this post, we describe one application for tooth implants; the sturdy base for securing a denture to either the upper or lower arch.

How are the posts inserted?

The implants are first surgically anchored into the jaw bone.

The patient is then given time to heal with the posts in place. In the months after implantation, the post meshes with the jaw bone in a process called osseointegration.

Once healed, the tooth implant patient returns for a final fitment of his/her new permanent dentures.

Who is a well-suited candidate for dentures secured by implants?

When considering whether to get implant-secured dentures, traditional dentures, or some other restoration option, the number of teeth missing will be a determining factor. If you have experienced severe tooth loss but still have good bone then you may be an appropriate candidate.

For individuals with one or two missing teeth, an implant for each missing tooth may be a better option. Each post would have an abutment (connecting piece) and crown attached.

People with three or four adjacent missing teeth may consider two implants affixed to a dental bridge. This configuration is similar to dentures secured by but the bridge covers less gum tissue at the location.

If you live in Cheyenne, Greeley, or Fort Collins (where The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry is located) call 970-221-5115 to set up a consultation.

 

 

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

 

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Who Do You Call If You Have a Dental Emergency?

urgent dental clinic Fort Collins

A dental emergency is any occurrence in which damage to the teeth occurs and the patient needs urgent care. While a dental emergency may have never happened to you, it could happen in the future.

Some things are too serious to wait for an appointment. How do you know if you need to call for help? Who do you call? How can you be prepared?

Some frequent questions people may have in a dental emergency:

  • “Is this serious enough, can’t we treat it at home for now?”
  • “Should I call 911?”
  • “How can I help in the moment?”

How to know if it is a dental emergency and when to seek help

If you are experiencing any of the following, call The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

  • A knocked-out tooth
  • A broken tooth
  • An abscess with pus
  • Unexplained severe mouth pain
  • Persistent bleeding of the mouth

Should I call 911 for a dental emergency?

If you suspect you are dealing with a potential dental emergency, stay calm. In the heat of the moment a person’s instinct may be to call 911. However, paramedics and dentists would encourage you to analyze the situation.

Dental emergencies are serious. Dental offices are for an urgent dental issue. If you need treatment, dentists are the professionals for the job. Act fast and responsibly.

Calling 911 may ultimately waste your time in getting the help you need. The police cannot help in dental matters and paramedics are not dentists. They can help if you have a non-dental medical emergency, but not if it is a dental-specific issue.

What should you do instead?

Instead, call The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry. We will help you over the phone. We can talk you through your situation to identify and diagnose the issue. No prior appointment needed. We will determine the best course of action and set up a time for you to come in for treatment.

The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry is here for you when you have a dental emergency

When it comes to your smile, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Obtaining immediate assistance is the first step in addressing the situation. When you call The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry, a dental professional will recommend you over the phone. Do not hesitate. The consequences of untreated emergencies can leave permanent damage. Some serious dental infections can even threaten your life if not treated.

Our contact information is below. Save our number in your phone contacts so you will be prepared in the unfortunate event that you experience a dental emergency.

 

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

 

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Schedule Your Coronation

dentist crowns Fort Collins

We treat all of our patients royally here at The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry, but some of them receive actual crowns. We’re not talking about crowns a king or queen wears, but crowns for your teeth! If you live near North Laramie, The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry is the best place to get your teeth looking better than ever. And putting a crown on a tooth with problems could be just what you need to realize a dazzling smile.

Crowns are a therapy for a plethora of problems:

  • To protect a weak tooth from decay, breaking, or to hold together a cracked tooth.
  • To cover and provide durability to a tooth with a large filling and little tooth structure remaining.
  • To restore a broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down.
  • To upgrade a tooth that is too small or misshapen.
  • To cover a tooth with extreme discoloration.
  • To add strength to a tooth following a root canal procedure.

If you feel like you have a need for a crown, don’t look any further than The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry. Our dentists and lab techs have the experience, training, and ability to make sure your crowns are fabricated and placed accurately. There are many different kinds of crowns that serve different purposes. We complete a thorough examination to ensure the crown you get is perfect for you and your smile.

We then prepare your tooth so that the crown will fit the way that it should. Once the tooth is prepared and ready, we use state-of-the-art tools to fit the crown on your tooth. When done properly, crowns can last many years. Crowns are remarkable way to safeguard and upgrade your smile. Schedule a coronation today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526


7 Ways To Fix A Chipped Tooth

fix broken tooth Fort Collins

In a perfect world, each of your teeth would stay healthy, strong, and brilliantly white throughout your life. Unfortunately, most of us will need to restore a tooth at some point. At The Fort Collins Dentist we can help.

A tooth can be compromised by decay, enamel erosion, a chip or crack, gum disease, or injury. Sometimes old restorations break and need to be replaced or root canals performed decades ago develop an abscess.

Here are seven different options for repairing a damaged tooth:

Dental Bonding. Bonding is used to fix minor cosmetic problems like small chips, cracks, discoloration, and spaces between teeth. A composite resin is applied and shaped as necessary.

Porcelain Veneers. Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin shells that are permanently attached to the front of natural teeth. They can cover chips, cracks, and gaps, or the alignment of a tooth.

Fillings. Modern white fillings are strong and inconspicuous. Patients love them because they blend in so well with natural tooth color. People concerned about the safety of metal fillings often replace those with non-metal white fillings.

Inlays and Onlays. Inlays are applied to the center of a tooth’s biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point). An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth.

Crowns. A crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, strength, and function. A crown is often necessary for a tooth that has had a root canal, with severe decay, or as the replacement tooth in a dental bridge.

Soft Tissue Grafts. Gum recession puts teeth and underlying bone at risk. Soft tissue grafting can cover the exposed root of a tooth to prevent further damage. Gum surgery is also done for cosmetic reasons, such as reshaping a gumline.

Dental Implants. Implants are titanium posts that are inserted into the jaw. Once they fuse with the bone implants can support one or more artificial teeth.

At The Fort Collins Dentist we offer complete restorative dentistry. People from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud also come to us for cosmetic and sedation dentistry, and much more. Please call our office to find out what we can do for your smile!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526


How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush?

How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush?

Too many people wait too long to get a new toothbrush, and this can contribute to poor dental health. At The Fort Collins Dentist we recommend a new toothbrush about every three months.

How often you replace your toothbrush depends, of course, on how often you use it. We recommend, strongly, that you brush at least twice a day. If you’re brushing twice a day, picking up a new toothbrush at the store every three months is recommended.

Keep It Fresh

A toothbrush can become familiar, like a comfy pair of shoes. Sometimes the idea of tossing out the old one and replacing it isn’t very appealing. But after three months, the bristles are getting bent and frayed. There is probably some dried toothpaste foam starting to build up, too. So toss that old brush, and get a fresh one!

What kind of brush should you be using? There are so many choices. The most important thing is to choose a brush with soft bristles. They are gentle on the gums, but still effective in brushing away plaque.

To recap: for good dental health, replace your toothbrush every three months. Patients from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud come to The Fort Collins Dentist for general dentistry and restorations. Schedule your next checkup with us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526


2023 Is The Year To Replace Missing Teeth

If you or someone you care about lost a tooth this year, but haven’t yet dealt with the issue, The Fort Collins Dentist suggests a consultation with our dental implant team immediately.

Why the rush? Though your missing tooth might not be an aesthetic issue now – maybe it’s far enough back that the gap is not visible, or perhaps you don’t mind a sort of rugged look – it could very well become one in the future.

When we lose a tooth, the root and jaw bone eventually atrophy. This causes neighboring teeth to begin to shift into the empty spaces, causing misalignment and pain. Worse, it causes your facial features to take on a “sunken” look; especially round the cheeks.

Dental implants are the best way to avoid this, as they protect and stimulate the remaining teeth, keeping them in place and bolstering their strength. The good news is that dental implants and their associated restorations mimic natural enamel perfectly, so nobody will be able to tell that you’ve achieved your New Year’s resolution early this coming year!

If you’ve been dreaming of a more complete smile for years, 2023 is the time to do it and The Fort Collins Dentist can help! We offer implants and complete restorative dentistry. We serve satisfied patients in North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud. Contact us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526


What Are The Possible Dental Implant Complications?

risks of dental implants Colorado

Dental implants from The Fort Collins Dentist are state-of-the-art, with a success rate in the area of ninety-eight percent. That number is a testament to implant technology.

But like any medical or dental procedure, there are certain risks involved. In this post, we will consider possible complications of a dental implant, so you can stay informed. It is worth noting, these risk are all considered pretty rare and dental implants are still the safest way to replace teeth!

  • Infection: Any surgical procedure poses an infection risk. That’s why we often prescribe an antibiotic beforehand. Beginning the second day post-surgery, the implant site should also be rinsed with a salt water solution.
  • Slow Healing: A patient is more likely to experience slow healing if they have another medical condition. Possible conditions include gum disease, diabetes, cancer, alcoholism, or poor circulation due to smoking. We take preexisting conditions into account.
  • Sinus Problems: Upper implants are placed very close to the floor of the sinus. Because of this proximity, an implant can perforate the floor of the sinus cavity.
  • Implant Failure: If an implant fails to integrate with the surrounding bone, it is usually due to insufficient blood supply. Teeth grinding, smoking, and the medical conditions discussed previously can impair blood circulation.
  • Nerve Damage: Nerve damage occurs in a very small percentage of implant procedures. Patients may have pain, tingling or numbness at the implant site.

An informed patient makes the best decisions, and at The Fort Collins Dentist we make sure every dental implant patient knows exactly what is involved. Patients from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud trust us with implants and other restorative dentistry procedures. Contact us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

ArticleID 8296

Is Your Smile In A World Of Hurt?

full mouth reconstruction North Laramie

Do you have extreme tooth damage, bone loss, or few to no remaining teeth? This post from The Fort Collins Dentist is for anyone whose mouth is in a world of hurt.

We understand how dental issues impact you every day of your life. Whatever the cause of the condition – severe mouth injury, disability, inadequate oral hygiene, or simply poor overall health – there is hope.

Restorative dentistry can renew your healthy, attractive smile – or give you the stunning smile you never had. Patients who address troublesome dental issues regain their confidence to smile, eat, and speak normally. How would that affect your life?

Restorative dentistry refers to a combination of dental procedures that restore a smile for people with multiple damaged or missing teeth. Treatment may include crowns, dental bonding, white filling replacement, or dental implants.

At The Fort Collins Dentist, we offer a range of restorative dentistry procedures that don’t simply renew your smile: they can give you back a big part of your life. Patients from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud also come to our practice for complete cosmetic dentistry. Contact us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

ArticleID 7017

Aesthetic Dentistry Solves Difficult Oral Problems

solve tough dental problems Fort Collins

Do you fear that your smile is beyond repair due to damage or neglect? Rest assured, that may not be true. At The Fort Collins Dentist we use restorative dentistry to improve smiles every day.

Here are some tough dental problems we routinely solve:

Tough Problem 1: Insufficient Bone for Dental Implant
Solution: Bone Grafting

Dental implants are state-of-the-art in tooth replacement. But before you can get one, you need to have enough healthy bone to support it. Bone grafting is a fairly simply procedure to promote the growth of new bone.

Tough Problem 2: Tooth Damage or Loss
Solution: Restorative Dentistry

We can address multiple issues by restoring your teeth and mouth to a functional and aesthetically pleasing state. It might involve filling cavities, restoring or replacing missing teeth, or repairing damage with a crown. Our goal is twofold: restoring your natural smile, and preventing future dental health problems.

With restorative options from The Fort Collins Dentist there is always hope for your smile! Patients from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud also come to us for complete general and cosmetic dentistry. Contact us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

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Learn How You Can Change Your Life By Transforming Your Smile

Fort Collins Smile Makeovers at The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry

Dental implants from The Fort Collins Dentist have many benefits, from restoring your ability to bite and chew to preventing the bone loss that occurs when a natural tooth and root are lost. Best of all, they restore your smile!

Dental implants are sometimes referred to as “tooth implants,” because they are a support for an artificial tooth. Technically, though, a dental implant is a titanium post that is inserted into your jaw. A connecting piece called an abutment fits on top of the implant, and the artificial tooth goes on top of that.

What makes implants feasible, and what sets them apart from all other tooth replacement options, is that the titanium post fuses with your bone. In other words, it becomes a part of your body. This is how the implant prevents bone loss, because in essence it is a replacement tooth root.

One dental implant can support one artificial tooth, while several can support a bridge or a full dental arch.

Dental implants from The Fort Collins Dentist can change your smile and your life! We have treated patients from North Laramie, Cheyenne, Greeley, and South Berthoud, who also come to us for other restorative dentistry options. Contact us today!

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

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