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How Long Do Dental Implants Last

Dental implants are a common treatment option to replace missing and damaged teeth. The titanium screws are placed directly into your jaw, fusing with the bone to replace the root of your teeth. However, while they clearly have a solid foundation, do you have confidence in how long your implants will last? Having dental implants is a significant investment in your oral health, so it pays to understand what you’re getting and how to ensure they last as long as possible.  What Affects the Lifespan of Dental Implants? While they are designed to be a permanent solution and can last up to 30 years, how long dental implants actually last will depend on how well you look after your teeth and your oral hygiene. There are several factors that can reduce how long your implants will last: Oral health – as with your natural teeth, your implants need to be well looked after. While titanium and ceramic may be resistant to decay, your gums and surrounding teeth can still be damaged by bad hygien
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How Dental Implants Work

If you have missing or damaged teeth, it can have a significant impact on your ability to talk, smile and feel like you used to. Dental implants provide an ideal solution to the problem, enabling the missing root to be permanently replaced and creating a strong foundation for replacement teeth. However, while dental implants offer many advantages, if you’re going to have something permanently attached to your mouth, you probably want to know how it works, what the procedure is like and how much dental implants cost. What are Dental Implants? Dental implants are titanium screw-like posts that are placed directly into the jawbone to create an artificial root. Once the post is in place, the jawbone is stimulated to grow, eventually fusing to the post to create a strong and durable replacement root. The visible part of the replacement tooth, the crown, is then attached to an internal screw within the root, known as an abutment. Once in place, dental implants feel, function and look just
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5 Tips for Preventing Tooth Decay

While you may well have had a filling at some point, tooth decay and cavities don’t have to be a given. Tooth decay happens when bacteria in your mouth comes into contact with the sugars and starches in your food and drink. The acid that forms can attack tooth enamel and, over time, cause it to break down and decay. Left alone, tooth decay can lead to gum disease and serious health problems. Fortunately, while you obviously can’t stop eating and remove the acids entirely, there are lots of things you can do to stop it leading to decay.  1. Brush and Floss Regularly Your oral hygiene routine is one of the most important ways that we can reduce the risk of tooth decay. While you’re probably well aware that you should brush your teeth twice a day, are you sure you’re doing it well enough? You need to brush the inside surfaces, outside surfaces and chewing surfaces, and that should take around two minutes. And floss shouldn’t only be used for dislodging food that’s wedged between your te
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Dental Veneers: Is It Worth the Cost?

If your teeth are chipped, crooked or discoloured, veneers offer a great way to quickly make a difference. However, your shiny new look won’t come for free. If you’re considering getting dental veneers , you are essentially investing in a more attractive smile. The question is whether you can justify the cost? Will veneers offer you any other oral health benefits or will the expense leave you frowning instead of smiling? What Are Dental Veneers?   Dental veneers are essentially thin shells that cover the front of your teeth to improve their appearance. They are custom-made from either composite resin or porcelain to be the perfect size and colour. While they can be used to treat a single damaged tooth, they can also be used across many teeth to make them appear more even and symmetrical.  Dental veneers are placed by first removing a small amount of enamel from the front surface of the tooth. This is done to create a snug fit and to ensure that the veneers form a strong and long-las
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Are You a Good Candidate for All on 4?

If you need replacement teeth, you may well be surprised how many options you have. As well as dentures and traditional implants, innovative procedures such as the All on 4 dental technique can give you renewed confidence in your smile. But how do you know whether you are a candidate for All on 4?  What is Implant Dentistry? Dental implants have been around for a long time, since the 1970’s in fact. Implants are surgically placed in the jawbone to give a permanent anchor for replacement teeth. And, for those able to have them, they offer great relief from the embarrassment and discomfort of  ill-fitting dentures. What’s more, by placing titanium screws into the jaw, the bone is encouraged to grow, which can restore facial aesthetics. The result is a fully functional set of teeth that enables patients to eat and speak as normal.  However, while implant dentistry has long represented a superior treatment to restore the form, function and health of our teeth, it has one serious limitat
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What Type of Dental Crown is the Best?

If you have a tooth that needs protecting or replacing, your Wollongong dentist might well recommend a dental crown . But what kind of crown is best? Are you ready to have a unique sparkle to your smile with a drop of gold amongst your white teeth? Or would you prefer to have something a little more discreet? Fortunately, there are various types of crowns that can all restore your tooth to its natural shape, appearance, function and, if you want, colour. However, the best crown for you will depend on your oral health and the position of the tooth in question.  What are Dental Crowns Dental crowns are prosthetic devices that are used to strengthen weakened or fractured teeth or to cover a root canal, dental implant or discoloured tooth. They are placed either by removing decay, filing down and reshaping an existing tooth, or by first placing a dental implant into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth. Crowns are then cemented to the tooth or implant, held firmly in place
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How to Prepare for a Tooth Extraction

While losing your baby teeth as a child may be fun, when you have to have an adult tooth extracted, it’s anything but. However, it doesn’t have to be a stressful, painful or expensive procedure. As is the way with many things in life, preparation is key. And, fortunately, there is plenty you can do ahead of time to make it a lot easier. So, if you need to have a tooth extracted , read on for some steps that you can take to prepare yourself. Ask Your Wollongong Dentist Questions Dentists aren’t there to just be listened to, they are also there for you to talk to. If you’ve got any concerns, it’s much better to voice them before the procedure. Your dentist should explain everything fully, so you understand what is going to happen at every step of the way during a tooth extraction.  Share Your Medical History If you have a regular Fairy Meadow dentist, they should already have a copy of your medical history. However, if you’re new to a practice, you’ll need to share it with them. Some
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