If you have missing or damaged teeth, dental implants are the best way to restore your smile. Implants are a permanent solution that are easy to maintain and require no special care. Unlike dentures that sit on top of the gums, implants are attached to your jawbone. They blend in effortlessly with your natural teeth and function just the same. Dental implants not only improve the appearance of your smile, they also function as well as a healthy set of teeth.

Dental implants use a titanium screw to replace the root of the missing or damaged tooth. This screw also holds a replacement ceramic tooth made to match and blend in with your surrounding natural teeth. As the implant heals, bone grows around the implant, further securing it in place. Implants can be used to replace a single tooth; multiple teeth when three or more teeth in a row are missing; or full arch reconstruction if you have more severe damage or missing teeth. Implants can also support a bridge, replace a partial denture, or secure a fixed denture.

At Brookline Dental Specialists, our board-certified periodontist Dr. Yong Hur is an expert in the field of dental implants. He is an active member of the American Academy of Periodontology and the president of the Massachusetts Periodontal Society. He has been a teaching professor in dental implant studies at Tufts University for more than 10 years. If you are considering dental implants, Dr. Hur can knowledgeably show you your implant options.

Dr. Hur uses state-of-the-art technology to create a 3-D model of your teeth, mouth, and jaw. Using this model, he can design an individualized treatment plan that not only shows you what needs to be done, but what results you can expect from treatment. With his modeling, you can know ahead of treatment that the end results of implant treatment will be a smile that you are proud to show the world.

At BDS we are proud to be a multi-specialty practice. This means your entire implant treatment plan can be done at one convenient location, with practitioners who can communicate face-to-face about all aspects of your treatment. Dr. Hur is able to collaborate with our general dentists and other specialists if your treatment plan includes additional interventions like extractions or addressing misalignment ahead of implant treatment.

There are multiple ways our patients can budget for the investment in the dental implants they need. Some of the cost, or certain parts of the treatment, may be covered by your dental insurance. Patients can also use funds from their pre-tax Health Savings Account (HAS) which can be applied to dental procedures.

BDS also offers financing options. One option is our Dental Membership Plan which includes a Perio Membership specifically for our periodontal patients. We can work with patients to explore third-party patient financing options in which a patient pays monthly, much like a car loan or mortgage payment. We also accept CareCredit and Lending Point credit card payments which allow you to begin treatment immediately and pay for care in monthly payments over time.

Dental implants can be life-changing as they replace missing or damaged teeth and improve the appearance of your smile and your overall health and wellness. Our team of specialists work together to ensure you receive the best care possible, from pre-implant treatment to the creation of an individual treatment plan to the implant treatment itself. Missing and damaged teeth can affect the health and appearance of your whole mouth, but with high-quality, state-of-the-art dental implants, BDS can help you restore your beautiful smile.

Did you know that gum disease, or periodontal disease, affects almost half of the adult population in the US? Nearly 65 million Americans have some gum disease and the symptoms that accompany it, including bleeding gums, gum recession, and tooth sensitivity. Your gums should not bleed when you brush and floss. If you are not routinely flossing your teeth every day bacteria builds up below the gums and can cause your gums to bleed each time you brush. Gum recession is caused by gum disease and can cause your teeth to start to appear “longer” due to fact the gums surrounding them are receding away. Gum recession is an indication that your gum disease is getting worse. The depth of the collar of gum tissue around your teeth increases. In late stage gum disease, when these pockets become too deep it can be very difficult to remove the food and debris by with home care alone, brushing and flossing. Food and debris left in the pockets causes the them to become deeper and the gum disease to worsen. These concerns are among the most common reasons people see the dentist.

There are certain lifestyle and health issues that can contribute to the risk of periodontal disease including smoking, diabetes, stress, clenching and grinding your teeth, certain medications, and poor nutrition. Periodontal disease and decay are caused by bacterial plaque. Plaque is a colorless film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth at the gum line. Plaque is constantly forming on your teeth. Periodontal diseases can be accelerated by a number of different factors, but it is mainly caused by the bacteria found in dental plaque. If not removed plaque hardens into a rough, porous substance known as calculus, or tartar.

This is why good oral hygiene so important. Adults over 35 experience more tooth loss due to gum diseases, than from cavities and three out of four adults are affected by periodontal disease at some time in their lifetime. The best way to manage periodontal disease is to avoid it in the first place. Be as preventative and proactive as possible with a consistent habit of brushing and flossing at home. Work with your hygienist to develop an effective home care routine and optimal brushing and flossing techniques.

The second critical step in prevention is to make, and keep, routine hygiene maintenance appointments at Brookline Dental Specialists with your dental hygienist. Cleaning tartar and calculus from your teeth and monitoring the health of your gums every six months is recommended. If you are already experiencing periodontal disease and symptoms a perio-maintenance program will be recommended which might include quadrant scaling and deep pocket cleaning once every 3 months.

One of the best things about our practice is our ability to care for all aspects of your dental health care right here in our office. As a periodontal specialist, I appreciate working with hygienists and the general doctors to diagnose, monitor, manage, and treat whatever issues may arise for our periodontal patients comfortably and conveniently in the same office as their family dentist.

We welcome new patients and can create a customized treatment and management plan for you in our dental practice. Your best overall health and wellness can be achieved by taking good care of your teeth AND your gums and we are here to help. Contact the office today and let’s work together to make a dental health maintenance plan that is just right of you!