Etown Dental Blog

Are you one of the many Elizabethtown men and women who has had a tooth extracted? If the tooth had been bothering you, it may have been a relief. Unless, of course, the tooth was in the front of your mouth and now the gaping hole shows every time you smile. Ignoring it is impossible because your tongue can’t leave it alone.

Once the tooth has been pulled, you have many decisions to make. Can I afford a dental bridge? Do I want to damage two healthy teeth to anchor the bridge? Should I go with a partial denture? What about bone loss?

What if you could have a fresh start? What if you could have a permanent, natural looking tooth replacement that would restore your smile and retain the healthy bone and gum tissue around the tooth root?

With a dental implant from Elizabethtown Dental Associates, you can. A dental implant is a permanent replacement for all parts of the tooth. A dental implant consists of three parts: the titanium post, the abutment, and the restoration.

The Titanium Post
—Inserted directly into the jaw bone
—Extremely strong
—Titanium is unique in that it bonds with living bone tissue (also used in knee and hip replacement surgery)

The Abutment
—Can be made of gold, porcelain or titanium
—Permanently attached to the post (it will not slip and slide like dentures)

The Restoration (Dental Crown)
—Usually made of porcelain fused to a metal alloy (PFM)
—Is made to match the color of surrounding teeth
—Will look as good or better than the tooth it replaced

Dental implant surgery is not an experimental treatment. The materials and techniques have been tested and refined for several decades. It has been performed by Elizabethtown dentists and prosthodontists for over twenty years. To schedule a dental implant consultation, call 717-367-1336.

Elizabethtown Dental Associates
717-367-1336
100 Continental Dr
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022
http://www.ETownDental.com

The best permanent tooth replacement treatment available to Harrisburg Pennsylvania area residents who are missing teeth are dental implants.

A dental implant is a metal (ideally titanium) rod implanted into the bone to replace the missing root. The crown and supporting structure are securely and permanently attached to the rod. Titanium is amazingly strong and extremely well tolerated by the human body. There are very few instances of rejection. In fact, most Pennsylvania implant dentists are not familiar with any such cases.

Tooth implants offer a long-term solution to tooth loss. Are you a good candidate for Pennsylvania tooth implant surgery?

Because the metal rod is anchored into the jaw bone, it is essential that you have enough healthy bone at the implant site. Cosmetic dentist Dr. Ed White can determine if you do.

Age is rarely a factor. Dental implants have proved to be successful for Pennsylvania residents of all ages. Dr. Ed White provides comprehensive cosmetic and family dentistry care for every member of the family.

There are a few medical issues that may affect your eligibility for implants. These include diabetes, osteoporosis, radiation therapy for cancer, parathyroid disorders, bone disorders and leukemia. The presence of one or more of these conditions does not necessarily mean an implant cannot work for you; discuss any health issues with Dr. Ed White during your implant consultation.

Elizabethtown Dental Associates is located at 100 Continental Dr in Elizabethtown Pennsylvania. Call 717-367-1336 to schedule an implant consultation.

When you meet someone in Elizabethtown who is missing a front tooth, what does that say to you? Do you wonder if they were in an accident? Do you automatically start making assumptions about their income, level of education and overall physical health?

Though it is extremely unfair, we are often judged (and misjudged) by our appearance. Even if a person is impeccably dressed and groomed, a missing front tooth detracts from the overall pleasing impression.

Here is a personal story from a woman who lost a tooth:

I lost my job and along with it my dental insurance, then a month later, one of my front teeth. It has been very hard to find work…. and I know the missing tooth has cost me several jobs.”

A missing tooth can be a big deal.

Dental implants not only restore oral health, they restore self-confidence. Dental implants are a permanent solution for missing teeth. Studies have shown that after more than 20 years, the vast majority of dental implants placed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons continue to function at peak performance. If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.

Dental implants are one of the procedures we routinely perform at Elizabethtown Dental Associates to help our Elizabethtown clients regain the beautiful smile they once had. Not all cosmetic dental procedures are as extreme as teeth implants. There are many minimally-invasive remedies for unattractive smiles.

Porcelain veneers instantly provide a perfect, gleaming tooth surface for Elizabethtown clients with broken or discolored teeth. Tooth whitening is a quick and affordable dentistry procedure in Elizabethtown that achieves dramatic results without requiring the removal of any tooth structure. Call Elizabethtown Dental Associates at 717-367-1336 for more information about smile design and restorative dentistry.

-Dr. Ed White

“Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.”
-Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605

When Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, there was no way to replace teeth that were lost to trauma or decay. We are fortunate to live here in Elizabethtown at a time where there is a permanent replacement for missing teeth-the amazing dental implant.

A dental implant, or tooth implant, is anchored into the jaw bone. It does not slide around like a removable denture. It functions just like a natural tooth.

With a dental implant, you can talk, chew, and brush like normal. Eat that steak. Laugh out loud. Sing at the top of your lungs!

The dental implant procedure available in Elizabethtown is not an experimental treatment. Dental implants have been available for many years. You can be sure that the dental implant procedure has been fully tested and tweaked to perfection. The success rate for dental implants in Elizabethtown is almost one hundred percent.

If you have a missing tooth and want to get a tooth implant, it is important to choose an experienced Elizabethtown cosmetic dental specialist to perform your implant procedure. To schedule a dental implant or cosmetic dentistry consultation, call 717-367-1336.

A Elizabethtown dental implant is a strong and beautiful tooth replacement that, incidentally, costs much less than a diamond of similar size. (See the quote at the beginning of this article.) To discuss financing options, contact our office.

At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, we offer the full spectrum of restorative, cosmetic, and general dental services. If you need a gentle family dentist to put your kids at ease or a precision smile design artist, we invite you to meet Dr. Ed White, DDS.

At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, we are committed to providing superior dental care for patients from 2 to 102.

I’m Dr. Ed White, a dental implant dentist in the 17022 area. In a recent post, I explained how traditional dental implants are used to dramatically improve the lives of my Leola denture and cosmetic dentistry clients. Today’s topic is mini dental implants, sometimes called ‘immediate implants’.

Though they are not as well known as traditional dental implants, mini implants are also being used successfully in the 17022 postal code area to improve smiles. Like their larger diameter counterparts, mini implants can support a restoration for one or more missing teeth or replace a bridge or fixed denture. Elizabethtown tooth restoration clients and denture wearers benefit greatly from these slip free dental implants that are anchored securely in the jaw bone.

In some cases, a patient is unable to receive traditional full-size dental implants due to insufficient bone thickness. There are also Elizabethtown mini implant patients who are not able to undergo dental implant surgery due to health issues. These Elizabethtown overdenture patients in the 17022 postal code area are often excellent candidates for the mini version.

The placement of toothpick-size mini dental implants can usually be done in one dental visit. The placement usually requires no incisions or stitches. Recovery time, if necessary, is usually very short. Most patients are able to eat dinner that evening.

Many Elizabethtown cosmetic dentistry clients are happy to learn that mini implants are a lower cost dental implants option. Don’t let the word ‘mini’ fool you; your smile can receive a maximum upgrade with mini dental implants.

Call Elizabethtown Dental Associates at 717-367-1336 to schedule an implant dentistry consultation.

Ill-fitting dentures cause more problems for denture wearers than they solve. If you live with loose dentures, you probably regard them as a necessary evil. Though they certainly look better than a toothless mouth, in practical terms they leave much to be desired because they affect two essential activities: eating and talking.

Unfortunately, many frustrated denture wearers have quit dining in restaurants or engaging in social activities because they are afraid their dentures will slip.

Dental implant procedures at Elizabethtown Dental Associates in Elizabethtown are allowing former denture patients to re-engage in life.

Consider the advantages of implant anchored dentures:

• They are stable because the implant is anchored in the bone.
• Your denture is fixed, it will not move around in your mouth.
• They prevent bone loss that typically occurs when teeth are removed.
• They eliminate the necessity of regular denture relines.
• They do not irritate gums.
• No denture adhesive is required.

Our dental implant cosmetic dentistry clients who have replaced their traditional dentures with implant overdentures enthusiastically say that the dental implant cost was more than worth it.

Do you want to eat normally again? What is the value of maintaining your facial shape? Can you put a price on confidence?

If you want more information about dental implants, call 717-367-1336 to schedule an implant tooth consultation with cosmetic dentist Dr. Ed White. Elizabethtown Dental Associates is located at 100 Continental Drive in Elizabethtown. We have been providing advanced dental care since 1984 for patients in the Elizabethtown, Hershey, Leola, and Manheim areas.

Personal Attention, Professional Excellence, Phenomenal Care

Q: When is the least expensive tooth replacement method really the most expensive?

A: When it ends up costing far more in the long run.

Many dentistry clients in the Leola, Manheim, and Elizabethtown areas who lose a tooth do not understand the importance of replacing it with a dental implant. They wrongly believe that one missing tooth is not a significant problem. In fact, some people who have an abscessed tooth extracted are so glad the pain is gone that they forget that the extraction is not the solution. When a tooth is lost, the risk of losing the adjacent teeth increases dramatically.

Dr. David Scharf, a Board Certified Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon and a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University College of Dentistry says:

“Many times consumers will choose to replace a missing tooth with a removable partial denture because it is the least expensive option. In the long run however, removable partial dentures may be more costly due to the loss of adjacent teeth and the need for future replacements. Many people opt to replace teeth with dental implants because they do not compromise the survival of the adjacent teeth.”

Dr. Scharf notes…

“With the price of gasoline and food soaring people try to cut back wherever they can. Unfortunately choosing the least expensive options for tooth replacement can have some very costly ramifications down the road.”

If you are missing a tooth, you may still be able to save the adjacent teeth if receive an implant soon from a cosmetic dentist. An implant bonds chemically with the jaw bone and helps maintain its stability.

To schedule a dental implant consultation, call Elizabethtown Dental Associates at 717-367-1336. In addition to cosmetic dentistry, we provide comprehensive family dentistry for families in the Leola, Manheim, and Elizabethtown areas.

A dental implant is a permanent tooth replacement that looks, feels and works like a natural tooth.

The actual dental implant material is usually titanium. A post is surgically inserted into the jaw bone to replace the root of the missing tooth. The post integrates with the bone to provide a stable foundation. The root replacement device can help prevent future jaw bone deterioration that can occur after a tooth has been lost. When the implant has integrated securely with the bone (it can take three to six months), a smaller post is attached. This post extends above the gum line. The artificial tooth (crown) is then attached.

The dental implants available in the Elizabethtown and Hershey area are extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of configurations. One dental implant can replace one missing tooth. A series of implants can replace more than one tooth or anchor a dental bridge. Implants can also act as a sturdy base for partial or full dentures.

When calculating the cost of dental implants in Leola, you’ll want to compare them to other restorative options.

Call 717-367-1336 to schedule a visit to discuss your dental goals and the possibility of reasonably cost dental implants. If you are missing one or more teeth, you owe it to yourself to get dental implants information.

-Elizabethtown Dental Associates

General dentists in the Elizabethtown area are trained in a wide variety of dental procedures. However, sometimes, your Elizabethtown general dentist will refer you to a local Leola specialist, or include a specialist as part of your treatment team.

Following are some of the most common dental specialties found in the Leola area:

Endodontists
Endodontists in Elizabethtown specialize in root canal therapy and other procedures involving the root and surrounding parts of the tooth.

Periodontists
Periodontists practicing in the Elizabethtown area treat the conditions affecting gum tissue and the bone surrounding the teeth. If you have gingivitis or more advanced periodontal disease, you may be referred to a periodontist in Elizabethtown.

Prosthodontists
Repairing damaged teeth and replacing lost teeth for Elizabethtown patients is called ‘restorative dentistry’. Prosthodontists have advanced training in procedures involving crowns, dental implants, bridges, veneers, inlays, and partial or complete dentures.

Pediatric Dentists
Infants, young children and teenagers in the Elizabethtown area have different dental needs than adults. Pediatric Dentists undergo additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases affecting the youngest population in Elizabethtown.

Oral Surgeons
Oral Surgeons serving the Elizabethtown area perform surgical procedures involving the teeth, mouth and jaw. These include dental implants, surgery to repair damage due to injury, tumor surgery, and cleft lip and palate reconstruction.

If you are interested in learning more about these specialties, or have a concern regarding your oral health, please visit us at Elizabethtown Dental Associates. You will find us at 100 Continental Drive in Elizabethtown Pennsylvania 17022. Please give us a call at 717-367-1336.

-Dr. Ed White, DDS

No one in Elizabethtown likes to settle for less than the best, especially with something as important as your smile. Dr. Ed White DDS at Elizabethtown Dental Associates in Elizabethtown has the solutions for your smile problems.

You don’t have to live with crooked or chipped teeth. Porcelain veneers are an affordable and non-invasive way to correct misshapen or damaged teeth that are otherwise structurally sound. If you have a tooth that is beyond repair, don’t despair. A dental implant may be the answer. Call 717-367-1336 for a tooth implant consultation in our local Elizabethtown office.

You don’t have to watch your teeth become duller and more discolored every year, either. Whether you are young, older or somewhere in the middle, teeth whitening works wonders to perk up your smile.

The latest restorative and cosmetic dental procedures are performed right here at Elizabethtown Dental Associates in Elizabethtown.

I have been practicing dentistry since 1984. I have noticed that my Leola patients who receive dental makeovers have only one regret; they wish they would have done it sooner! Hershey and Manheim clients with dazzling new smiles are surprised by how much confidence they gain. Because they love their smile, they smile more often.

Come in and see us at Elizabethtown Dental Associates

• Dr. Ed White DDS
• Elizabethtown Dental Associates
• 100 Continental Drive
• Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022
• 717-367-1336
• http://www.ETownDental.com