What does it all mean?
Abutment
It is what connects the dental implant to the crown. The mayority are made of titanium but also zirconia. Not to be confussed with a healing abutment which is what it is placed over the implant after surgery preventing the gums from closing over the implant.
Bone graft
When we lose our teeth, the bone and gum line starts to receed, this dental procedure involves adding bone to the jaw to increase the success of dental implant placement. It might sound invasive but it is a straight forward procedure and the full process last between 3 and 9 months depending on the degree of bone loss.
Bruxism (teeth grinding)
This is an involuntary act that causes the teeth to grind, the enamol to wear off and sometimes periodontal breakdown. It is usually associated with stress but also when there is occlusal irregularity. It is best to wear a mouth guard to prevent damage to your teeth.
Caries
It is the most common oral disease today. It involves the destruction of tooth tissue caused by plaque. If the plaque is left untreated it will cause a hole in the tooth and tooth decay will follow. The best prevention is a good oral hygiene and a professional clean regularly.
CAD-CAM
Stands for computer aided design and manufacturing. It is a sophisticated software program that allows to design and manufacture dental restorations by computer. It is very effective, fast and error free. Thanks to this program, dentists are able to use more materials for crowns like zirconium, the latest and most durable material on the market today.
Crown
It is the prosthetic restoration that sits on the dental implant. It can be of many different materials, like acrylic, porcelain or zirconia. The crown restores the aesthetics and functionality of the original teeth.
Dental implant
Is a titanium or zirconium post (like a tooth root) that is surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath th egum line that allows to mount a replacement teeth or a bridge into that area.
Occlusion
It refers to the way in which the upper and lower teeth get together and make contact. A mal occlusion can cause aches, pains and bruxism. It can corrected via orthodontics or surgery.
Nobel BioCare
It is the brand of dental implants we use. The are considered of superior quality and meet all the international standards.
Gum disease
Also known as periodontitis. This disease has three stages, the first one is known as gingivitis, where you gums are inflammed and bleed easily when brushing. At this stage the damage is reversible with good and professional oral hygiene. When gingivitis is untreatment it becomes periodontitis, where the plaque spreads under the gum line. As the disease continues it causes the teeth to move and the gum to receed further to the point where your teeth might need to be removed.
Digital Smile Design
It is the software program we use to plan and design the end result. Thanks to this tool we can show our patients the final smile before we start treatment and our patients are able to be part of the design.
Sinus lift
This is when the tissue of the sinus its raised to create bone volume for the placement of the dental implants.