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Tarzana, Ca, (818) 300-0333
Looking for a Dentist? Dr. Alan Howard and Dr. Yonatan Howard at The Dental Office Tarzana, offer every aspect of Dentistry under one roof. Established in 1988 The Dental Office Tarzana is a family run business. Dr. Alan Howard began practicing in 1980 and moved his practice to Los Angeles in 1988. His son, Dr. Yonatan Howard, joined the practice after graduating from UCSF . Our philosophy is that honesty and an informed decision will result in the best treatment possible. We use Minimally Invasive Dentistry and are constantly learning new techniques and technologies, to offer you the best treatment options. Our Office incorporates state of the art equipment. Each operatory has it's own flat panel TV. We use intra-oral cameras so that you can see and understand what is going on in you mouth. We are one of a few Offices to have the Cerec milling computer, which means no more temporaries for crowns. We make the all porcelain crown in our office so at the end of your 1 hour appointment, you go home with the final crown.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Implants And Bridges, Oh my!





When a patient is looking to replace a missing tooth, the most common question is always "What are my options?" The following question asked is "What do you think?"

Let's first discuss all the options available to replacing missing teeth. I'm going to keep this entry specific to replacing a single tooth, which in most cases eliminates partial dentures as an option. With that said, the 2 best options are bridges and implants.

A bridge is a restoration that is made of 2 crowns on either side with a fake tooth in the middle. These 3 components are permanently fixed together and cemented to the teeth. Depending on the type of bridge (inlay vs conventional), some tooth structure needs to be removed in order for the bridge to sit on the adjacent teeth. The appointment is typically 1 hour to prep the teeth, take an impression and make a temporary. 2 weeks later, the final bridge is cemented in a 30 minute appointment.

An Implant is a titanium screw surgically placed into the bone. About 3-6 months later, an abutment is fit into the implant and a final crown is placed over the abutment. The adjacent teeth do not need to be touched. Depending on the bone level and gum level, a bone or tissue graft might be necessary before placing the implant.

So when it comes down to replacing that missing tooth, which should you choose? Well...it depends. Let's take the case where the bone and gum levels are ideal. For me, the biggest indicator is what restorations are on the adjacent teeth. If there are crowns and big fillings in the adjacent teeth, then I'm more inclined to use those for the bridge. By removing those restorations, you make space for the bridge without having to touch too much tooth. On the other hand, if the adjacent teeth have no restorations, an implant would be advised because otherwise perfectly good teeth would need to be prepped.

A second consideration that the patient tends to use as the final factor is time. For a bridge, from start to finish the tooth can be replaced in 2 weeks. For an implant, the time of treatment is extended to 3-6 months, and that is if it is a straight forwards case.

So if it was your mouth, what would you go with?
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