The Importance of Preventive Dental Care

The health of your smile and body are inter-related. Known as the oral-systemic connection, recent studies have indicated that the health of one entity has a tendency to influence the other. As a result, maintaining a healthy smile though trips to Dr. Lavoger Gies not only helps patients retain their oral health but also ensures that individuals stay healthy as a whole.

Identifying the Oral-Systemic Connection

In recent years, a number of studies have observed that dental conditions often yield health consequences for other parts of the body.

For example, untreated advanced periodontal disease has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and may also make it more difficult for patients suffering from diabetes to control their condition. Untreated tooth infections provide bacteria with the opportunity to enter the bloodstream and affect vital organs and putting patients at risk of blood poisoning. Even the misalignment of the dentition can have a lasting impact on an individual’s overall health. Overcrowding, overbites, and other alignment conditions can have a domino-like effect on the position of the jaw and, increases the risk of temporomandibular joint disorders such as migraines, bruxism, dizziness, and vision problems.

Health conditions can also yield symptoms that manifest within the mouth. For example, while Chron’s Disease primarily impacts the gastrointestinal tract, oral manifestations of the condition can include cobblestone appearance of the lining within the mouth and gum swelling. Similarly, celiac disease may also cause oral symptoms, including canker sores, geographic tongue, as well as tonsil stones. Additionally, medications being taken for certain health conditions may have oral implications such as dry mouth and dry throat.

Why Preventive Dentistry?

To maintain a healthy smile, patients typically visit the dentist at least twice a year and adopt some form of oral hygiene at home. As a number of conditions manifest themselves orally, these regular visits are critical to identifying potential health issues before they can significantly compromise an individual’s overall health.

During your initial visit at our dental practice, our team utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to monitor the condition of your smile and identify any changes as well as indicators of any health conditions. At our San Antonio office, Dr. Lavoger Gies works closely with other health professionals to ensure patients have access to the appropriate dental care as well as follow-up treatments in the event of a more serious overall health condition. For more information about our comprehensive approach to preventive dentistry, contact our San Antonio dentist today. 

Understanding My Dental Implant Options

In recent years, dental implants have become the ideal restorative solution for patients hoping to restore aesthetics, function, and health to their smile. Used either independently or as part of a larger treatment plan, dental implants and implant-supported prostheses offer versatile treatment that can be personalized to meet your unique needs.

If you are considering dental implants to replace missing or severely damaged teeth, understanding the condition of your smile and how various implants will impact your dentition is the first step to developing a truly comprehensive treatment plan.

For individuals hoping to replace a single tooth:

Isolated tooth loss or damage can be easily remedied with a single dental implant replacement. Consisting of an implant post, a connective abutment, and a single crown restoration, single unit implants do not rely on the surrounding teeth or tissue for support, ensuring that healthy neighboring teeth are left uncompromised.

For individuals missing multiple teeth:

If not handled in a timely manner, patients requiring multiple tooth replacement run the risk of bone deterioration which can spur further tooth loss. Dental implant restorations such as implant-fixed bridges and All-on-4 implants are optimal solutions that help improve bone health as well as replacing missing teeth.

Like single unit implants, multi-unit implants utilize titanium posts and abutments to secure the prosthetic teeth. Depending on the number of teeth being replaced with this restoration, between 2 and 8 implants may be strategically placed in the bone.

For patients seeking full arch replacement:

In certain cases of extensive tooth damage or decay, entire arches may need to be replaced with prosthetic teeth. For these patients, implant-supported dentures and hybrid dentures may be the most effective long-term restoration solutions.

While seemingly similar, there are important differences between implant-supported dentures and hybrid dentures that make them suited to different patient needs. Implant-supported dentures utilize an overdenture that is secured to a series of supportive implants. As the overdenture includes prosthetic teeth and tissue, this full-mouth restoration option is ideal for patients accustomed to the feel, function, and maintenance of dentures. In contrast, hybrid dentures consist of only the teeth and are fixed to supportive implants. Since there is no gum portion of this restoration, hybrid dentures are ideal for individuals with healthy gums.

Schedule Your Implant Consultation

At Gies Family Dental, our San Antonio implant dentist is dedicated to helping all patients find the right treatment for their restorative needs. For more information about dental implants and implant-supported treatments in San Antonio, contact our practice today to schedule your consultation.