Main Street Dental Team, Unionville’s Most Innovative Dental Clinic, Cautions that Pricey Dental Implants Are Not Always Necessary
Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) October 25, 2013 -- The Main Street Dental Team (MainStreetDentalTeam.com), Unionville’s first full-time dental clinic, is releasing its expert opinion on a recent study that shows it may be better to treat teeth that are salvageable than to replace them with expensive implants.
“The results of this study illustrate an important fact: expensive treatments are not always the best options. In fact, it’s often in the client’s best interest for dentists to work on existing dental work,” says Dr. Harvey Schwartz, owner of the Main Street Dental Team. “Ultimately, it goes to show how important it is for customers to be aware of all the available treatment options.”
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, dental implants are reliable replacements for missing teeth, but they may not be the best choice for teeth that are diseased. The authors found that, instead, attempts should be made to treat and save the tooth first, especially in cases of gum or periodontal disease. While the study did not address the expense of dental implants, a complete treatment costs roughly $3,500. (Source: Levin, L. and Halperin-Sternfeld, M., “Tooth preservation or implant placement: A systematic review of long-term tooth and implant survival rates,” The Journal of the American Dental Association, October 1, 2013; http://jada.ada.org/content/144/10/1119.abstract.)
“In some instances, teeth are so damaged that dental implants are the best solutions. However, that’s not always the case,” Dr. Schwartz adds. “When it comes to pricey dental implants, sometimes it’s better to work with what’s already there. Maintaining teeth with proper periodontal treatment and a regular maintenance program might give the same or even better results.”
After reviewing 19 published studies that looked at either implant survival rates or tooth survival rates over the last 15 years, the authors found that about four percent to 13% of teeth not implanted were lost and zero to 33% of implants were lost. An implant is viewed as successful if it is functional for five years in 75% of cases. (Source: Ibid.)
“Just because a client has been advised to have a tooth extracted doesn’t mean they need to,” Dr. Schwartz concludes. “They can always ask what their options are beyond extracting and they should feel comfortable seeking a second opinion. After all, as this recent study shows, dental implants are not always the best alternative.”
The Main Street Dental Team was established in 1967 and became the first full-time dental practice in the community. The Main Street Dental Team provides a full range of dental services for all ages, including preventive dentistry, restorative/cosmetic dentistry, dental Implants, surgery, full and partial dentures, and treatment for gum disease. To better serve the needs of Unionville’s growing population, the staff also speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. To learn more about the Main Street Dental Team, visit the web site.
Dr. Harvey Schwartz, Mainstreetdentalteam, http://www.mainstreetdentalteam.com/, +1 905-266-0350, [email protected]
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