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Patient Education

What are Dental Implants?

When teeth cannot or should not be saved, or after they have been lost, dental implants can be used to permanently replace them. Implants are titanium root replacements that are placed into the jaw to act as supports for new teeth or caps. Implants can also be used to support or stabilize dentures. Dental implants are distinguished by high predictability, longevity, comfort and cosmetics.

Implant dentistry is now considered a conventional option for permanent tooth replacement and is often the standard for which other treatment options such as bridges or dentures should be measured against.

The implants themselves are titanium anchors that are carefully placed into the jawbone in an office procedure under local anesthetic. We are pleased to use exclusively the Straumann Dental Implant system, a highly successful and respectable system that has the Food and Drug Administration approval, in addition to the highest quality of research and evidence to support its use. You could visit their website at www.straumann.com. Dr. Arauz-Dutari has vast experience in this type of procedures, often lecturing to other doctors, as well as publishing scientific studies.

What is a Diplomate?

A Diplomate is a periodontist who has made significant achievements beyond the mandatory educational requirements of the specialty and who is certified by The American Board of Periodontology.

To be educationally qualified for Board certification requires:

• Certification as a dentist, including basic college education and completion of dental school to earn the D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree and;
• Certification as a periodontist after postdoctoral study in an American Dental Association (ADA) approved program. This period of study is concentrated on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of periodontal diseases and conditions; the diagnosis, treatment, and maintenance of dental implants; the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of lesions of the soft and hard tissues of the mouth.

In addition to the educational requirements, Board certification requires:

• Comprehensive written and oral examinations covering all phases of periodontal disease and its treatment, including dental implants, and oral medicine.
• Presentation of detailed reports on a broad range of actual treatment personally provided by the periodontist.
• Recertification every three years.