If you haven’t perused the dental services that are available in recent years, you’ll be surprised to find that they’re far more advanced than what you may expect. From replacing teeth with dental implants to discreetly straightening your smile with Invisalign, these advancements are rapidly changing the face of dentistry. Discover some of the services that provide a massive upgrade from dental treatments of the past.
The Ever Evolving Field of Dentistry
Dentists are always looking for the newest and most advanced ways to improve the service they provide to their patients. With every new advancement in technology comes new opportunities to make a particular treatment more convenient, faster, or more effective. That’s what each of these dental treatments has in common: They’ve all improved over previous methods to create a superior experience for patients.
Dental Implants – Changing the Game for those with Missing Teeth
For many years, dentures were the standard treatment for missing teeth. While they’re still the most common and affordable treatment, dentures fall short when compared to dental implants. The simple fact is dental implants are the only restoration that can prevent the jawbone from shrinking. Other ways that dental implants are superior to dentures include:
- Dental implants are designed to never have to be removed.
- Maintaining dental implants is as easy as brushing and flossing.
- Dental implants upgrade your chewing power further than dentures.
- Only dental implants provide a truly realistic looking restoration.
- Since they’re permanently integrated, they’re far stronger than dentures.
How Can You Get Dental Implants?
The first criteria for getting dental implants is that you have to be missing teeth. Aside from this basic prerequisite, it’s also relevant that the patient is in excellent oral health because ailments like gum disease could jeopardize the dental implant process.
To find out if you’re eligible for dental implants, the first step in the process would be a consultation with a qualified dentist. For example, dentists like Dr. Roman Shlafer are highly experienced in all parts of the dental implant process. Once you’ve completed a consultation, then they’ll design a custom treatment plan that matches your needs.
Invisalign – Making the Braces Experience Far More Fun and Convenient
Another treatment that has changed the field of dentistry is Invisalign and its variation for teenagers, Invisalign Teen. While metal braces were the staple treatment in orthodontics for a lot of years, Invisalign changed the game by making the experience discreet – onlookers can barely tell when a patient is wearing Invisalign! This fact makes Invisalign extremely popular among anyone who wants to straighten their front teeth without dealing with braces.
How is Invisalign Different?
Unlike traditional braces that use metal wires and brackets, Invisalign uses clear, plastic aligners that are completely customized to your teeth. After wearing your aligner for about two weeks, you’ll replace it with another that’s designed to increasingly realign your smile. By the end of your treatment, you’ll see a major improvement in the front teeth. Plus, people love Invisalign because it’s not bonded to the teeth like metal braces – they can remove their aligners when it’s time to eat.
Getting Your Own Invisalign
Like most major dental procedures, the first step to getting Invisalign is to schedule a consultation with a qualified dentist. Invisalign uses a series of rankings to group providers by the number of cases they’ve completed. One doctor who has earned the only Diamond Plus rating due to their substantial experience in Invisalign is Dr. Stephen Grussmark of the Center for Invisible Braces in Miami. Patients are likely to go to a provider with a Diamond rating because it shows they have the experience to make each treatment a successful one.
Oral Appliances – Major Life Improvement for Sleep Apnea Sufferers
Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that can cost patients sleep, their health, and even their relationship. The CPAP mask has long been considered the primary treatment for sleep apnea, but many people simply can’t stand it. These are major problems people have with CPAP therapy:
- The mask makes some patients feel claustrophobic.
- People have trouble sleeping due to the tube and the noise the CPAP makes.
- Air pressure being forced into your mouth makes some feel uncomfortable.
- Many claim that their masks don’t actually fit their face properly.
How are Oral Appliances an Improvement?
About the size of a dental retainer, oral appliances come in many different varieties. While they serve different functions, like moving the jaw forward or suppressing the tongue so it can’t block the airway, all of these oral appliances are designed with the same purpose: Helping sleep apnea patients sleep through the night. With their smaller size and increased comfort, oral appliances are a godsend for those who have trouble with their CPAP device.
Need a Sleep Test or Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea?
While multiple professionals may be involved with treating sleep apnea, dentists are often the first to notice and treat the disorder. However, it’s important to note that not every dentist treats sleep apnea symptoms. One dentist who does is Dr. Michael Solly of Powell, TN. If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, schedule a consultation with Dr. Solly and he’ll devise a treatment plan based on your specific case.
Dentistry Will Continue to Evolve as Technology Advances
The fact is, if one dentist passes up on including an innovative new treatment at their practice, then they’ll lose out to competitors who will adopt these new services. Much like dental implants are a vast improvement over dentures, new treatments will continue to enhance the patient experience and become the new gold standard in dentistry. Only time will tell which will be the next revolutionary procedure to render its predecessors obsolete.