Frequently Asked Questions For Our Patients

If you haven't been to a dental office in a while, we think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Today's dentistry is faster than ever before, and procedures are virtually pain-free. All of our staff members are highly trained to make each of your visits as pleasant and pain-free as possible. We have many options to help you relax here, including sedation, topical and new local anesthetics. We have been able to relax and calm even the most phobic dental patient.

What can I do to keep my teeth for life?
How do I protect my teeth?
How long will my dental work last?
How do I prevent tooth decay?
How do I protect my gums?
How often should I visit my dentist?

What can I do to keep my teeth for life?

In order to keep your teeth, you need to control the factors that cause tooth loss. Though genetics plays a tremendous role, behaviors will nearly always overpower genetic resistance. A patient who wants to keep their teeth for a lifetime needs to pay close attention to their diet, their methods and frequency of oral hygiene, and not use tobacco products.

How do I protect my teeth?
DON’T USE YOUR TEETH AS TOOLS! Your teeth were intended to smile, speak and chew and were not meant to hold pencils/pens/nails/screws/etc., bite fingernails, or cut plastic tags from new clothing. In addition, teeth should be protected from trauma when playing sports or pursuing physical activities. Finally, no man-made materials last forever in the mouth. Keeping your teeth and dental work clean and healthy and updating your dental work when the earliest signs of breakdown or wear are visible.

How long will my dental work last?
Before a dentist can tell you that, you must know how the materials work and fail first. For example, a silver or composite (tooth-colored or white) filling may be functional for many years, but be leaking and cracked, and still allow the patient to chew, speak, and function without pain. Unfortunately, the tooth will die when the decay is allowed to progress into the root canal, but the dentist is often unable to see the damage clinically or an on x-ray. As a rule of thumb, Dr. Bobbitt advises his patients that a filling of small to moderate size can be expected to function and maintain the health of the tooth it restores for 10-15 years. Most will stay there longer, but the risk of internal damage escalates after that time. Materials that don’t corrode, such as gold or porcelain, will always have longer expected lifespans.

How do I prevent tooth decay?
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A diet that is high in sugar and/or acid will eventually result in tooth decay. The bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth take those sugars and convert them into acids that simply dissolve the calcium from the tooth, in much the same way that vinegar removes hard water deposits from a coffee pot. Dietary sugar acidifies the patient’s saliva for 20 minutes to 2 hours depending upon the time of day that it is eaten. A small amount of acid every day will eventually lead to tooth decay.

How do I protect my gums?
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The best way to protect your teeth is to keep the gums healthy. Regular, daily use of a toothbrush and floss (or other method of cleaning between the teeth), will control the growth of bacterial plaque deposits and lower the total number of bacteria in the mouth. Dr. Bobbitt is a huge fan of mechanical toothbrushes. Used a minimum of twice daily for at least two minutes will make a dramatic improvement in the elimination of gingivitis and a dramatic decrease in the inflammatory components of gum disease.

How often should I visit my dentist?
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The answer depends upon your individual level of health. Patients who are healthy, have new/recently updated dental work, and who have excellent oral hygiene habits may need to visit the dentist once a year for evaluation and an oral cancer screening. Patients who have gingivitis or even frank gum disease may need to be seen every 90-120 days for professional hygiene care. In addition, patients who have any of a number of systemic conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, or cardio-vascular disease, may also need more frequent visits.

Dental implants--what are they?
Aren't implants considered "experimental?"
What will happen when I get a dental implant?
Do I have to wait to have a tooth?
But aren't implants expensive?
How can I replace missing teeth?
What if I already wear dentures?
Does it hurt to have implants placed?
What difference do implants make for patients who have them?
How do I get a dental implant?
What happens while the implant is healing?

Dental implants--what are they?
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Dental implants have become the treatment of choice for many patients who are missing one or more teeth, that want to plan for lifelong dental care rather than the reactive, “fix-it” care of the past. Dental implants are made of medical grade titanium, are stable, extremely strong replacements for the missing tooth’s root and allow for a natural looking replacement of the crown, or visible portion of the tooth or teeth. In patients who have been missing teeth for a long period of time, the implants can even act to replace the missing gums and bone in addition to the teeth.

Aren't implants considered "experimental?"
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In 1965, Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark of Sweden first discovered that titanium tubes (used in his laboratory to study blood flow in bones) actually allowed bone to grow into and onto them--a process he called OSSEOINTEGRATION. The discovery of osseointegration has allowed a huge number of treatments to be developed. The implants we use today may be more sophisticated mechanically, but the basic materials and concepts have proved successful for over 40 years. Titanium root-form implants are now considered not just "mainstream," but the STANDARD OF CARE for the replacement of missing teeth.

What will happen when I get a dental implant?
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The implant is placed into the bony area vacated by the missing tooth's root. After allowing it to heal and "osseointegrate," a "crown" is constructed to act as the visible portion of the tooth. The final result is a replacement tooth that looks, feels and acts like a natural tooth. Some patients can have a new tooth crown placed onto a root-form implant so that no one needs to know that a tooth was ever missing! For others, simple attachment devices can secure a denture--allowing the patient to experience an improvement in chewing ability of up to 200%!

Do I have to wait to have a tooth?
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In some cases, an implant can be placed the same day that a tooth is removed--depending upon the reason for the tooth's removal. I have personally placed implants immediately after removing teeth for many patients--some have even walked out of my office with a brand new tooth secured onto their implant!

But aren't implants expensive?
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Everything is relative, but in a word, "YES," implants are expensive, so they aren't for everyone. For those patients who are willing to invest in their oral health and to improve their daily lives by securing their ability to enjoy even a simple meal, implants are only expensive in the short run. In the long run, a crown supported by an implant, as compared to fixed bridgework or even dentures, can last up to two to three times as long as other dental work. The implant will strengthen the bone, will not be subject to decay, will not get gum disease, and will be far more predictable than a crown placed on a natural tooth. It is my opinion that a crown supported by an implant is the best option for tooth replacement available today.

How can I replace missing teeth?
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A complete set of teeth improves your confidence and self-esteem, but it also increases the longevity of your natural teeth by removing stress placed on any individual tooth. There are three basic methods used in our office to replace missing teeth, including implants, bridges, and natural looking partial/full dentures. It is not necessary to live with missing teeth any longer.

What if I already wear dentures?
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Many, if not most denture wearers are aware of the limited chewing ability they endure each day. Dental implants can be a dream come true--giving the patient the ability to eat and chew foods comfortably again. As few as two implants can stabilize a loose lower denture! Even more exciting, s few as four implants can allow a patient to have their denture "fixed" onto the jaw--just like having your own teeth again.

Does it hurt to have implants placed?
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Implants are placed into the bone during a surgical procedure using local anesthetic so there is no pain. Most patients report only a mild vibration so this procedure is generally less stressful than the removal of the tooth it is to replace. In patients who require replacement or augmentation of the jawbone with bone grafting, the implant site is usually not a source of pain or symptoms, whereas the site the graft is taken from can be mildly to moderately painful after surgery.

What difference do implants make for patients who have them?
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Patients with dental implants are able to eat, smile and laugh without fear or embarrassment that their denture may slip or click, or that their bridge will trap food.

How do I get a dental implant?
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The implant is inserted into the jawbone in the area vacated by the missing tooth’s root. After allowing it to heal and "osseointegrate," for the next two to four months, a "crown" is constructed to act as the visible portion of the tooth. The final result is a replacement tooth that looks, feels and acts like a natural tooth.

What happens while the implant is healing?
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While the healing process takes place, the patient wears a temporary replacement tooth. Once the implant has bonded to the surrounding bone (approximately 8-12 weeks later), we will uncover it and attach a post to the implant protruding through the gum. At this point, we can build a permanent crown for the tooth.

Why doesn’t my insurance cover all my needs?
Why didn’t my insurance cover my periodontal visits?
My insurance company says your fees are above the usual and customary fee?

Why doesn’t my insurance cover all my needs?
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Dental insurance companies do not intend for their plans to cover all expenses. Their plans serve only as an aid toward acquiring better care. Many plans tell their subscribers that they will be covered “up to 80 or even 100%.” In spite of what is said, most dentists find that the majority of plans cover only 30-50% of an average fee. The amount that is paid is determined by the amount of coverage you or your employer paid for in the plan. It has nothing to do with the actual fees, the quality of the materials used, or the time taken to provide the service.

Why didn’t my insurance cover my periodontal visits?
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Many dental services are covered only a set number of times in a plan year—regardless of the subscriber patient’s actual needs. This is a common method companies use to restrict patient access to care. The savings to the company are distributed to the company’s shareholders as dividends.

My insurance company says your fees are above the usual and customary fee?
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Some companies tell their subscribers that a provider’s fees are too high, or “above the usual, customary, and reasonable fee,” rather than telling them that their coverage benefits are too low. Our office does not view our patients as “usual and customary,” but as quality people who demand quality dental care. We use the highest quality materials provided by the best artisans and local dental laboratories to ensure the most predictable outcome and best longevity for our patients.