tooth replacements Archives | Poplar Crossing Dental

I Look Great… Until I Smile

Posted on June 5, 2025 by writeradmin.

I’m 37 years old and in top shape. I workout four days a week and watch what I eat. I’m a size four and love the way I look… until I smile. My teeth are an absolute mess. I need to just replace my teeth completely. However, I don’t want dentures because of my age. I know I need to get implant supported dentures, but they are so expensive it is impossible. When I see people that have dental implants on those commercials I wonder if they got them for free by doing an advertising testimonial. Is that a possibility for me? If not, are there charity dental clinics that will do the work for me?

Amelia

Dear Amelia,

If your teeth cannot be saved, then implant supported dentures are your best option. I would look into what it would take to save your teeth first, before giving up on them. Getting your natural teeth in shape is very likely to be less expensive than a full set of implant overdentures. I would start by seeing a decent cosmetic dentist and have him triage your teeth and make a treatment plan. You can spread out the treatments to get your teeth back to order.

You didn’t say if there were cosmetic issues with your teeth or just condition issues. If the problems are strictly cosmetic, there are inexpensive cosmetic options such as teeth whitening, dental bonding, and Invisalign.

If however your teeth really are beyond saving, then yes, you’ll want implant supported dentures in order to avoid facial collapse. I don’t think you’ll be able to do a testimonial in order to cover treatment. The reason for that is that patients are willing to give testimonials for free. While there are dental charities, they pretty much uniformly will only provide you with removable dentures. Like Medicaid, they will generally only give you the cheapest option.

There are ways to try and afford them:

Look for a school that is teaching dentists how to place implants. They are inexperienced and it will take longer, but they will have an instructor overseeing them.
You could get snap on dentures, which can use as few as two dental implants. It won’t be the same as the full treatment but it can make a difference.
As a last resort, you can get removable dentures while you save up for the implants.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Best Options for Dental Implants & Crowns

Posted on December 5, 2024 by writeradmin.

I want to replace a tooth but it is toward the front of my smile. Because of that, I am hoping to get some advice. My dentist mentioned something I want to double check. He said if the porcelain crown were fused to a white metal or gold, than there won’t be a gray/black line. Is that accurate? Second, can you tell me the best brand of dental implants to use? Also, as to the type of implant. One dentist told me that zirconia was not strong enough. So, should I stick with titanium?

Carl

Dear Carl,

While I can tell that you are being very careful about this and trying to do due diligence with your research, I’d like to switch the way you are going about it. Before that, though, I do want to correct one thing your dentist said. If you fuse porcelain to metal, any kind of metal, even gold, it will eventually get that gray/black line. You will want an all-porcelain crown. That is plenty strong for your front teeth. I’m not sure why your dentist was trying to talk you into a metal-based one.

Doing research is a good thing. However, you won’t learn enough about all the brands of dental implants available in order to make those type of decisions. What you should be researching is the training of the dentist. Unfortunately, implant dentistry is not a recognized specialty. Because of that, any dentist can place implants. However, this is an advanced procedure that can cause a lot of problems when it is not done properly.

I would research the dentist’s training. Dental school is not adequate training. They really do need some post-doctoral training at a reputable institution. Some good ones are the Dawson Academy, the Las Vegas Academy of Advanced Dental studies, and the Pankey Institute. There are a few others as well, but this should be enough to help you find someone with the skills to do the procedure correctly.

Find the right dentist and they will know which brand works best for your particular case.

One last thing, zirconia is strong enough for dental implants. You can actually use either one. It’s possible the dentist who told you they weren’t isn’t as familiar with them because they are newer.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Options for Infected Teeth

Posted on September 12, 2022 by writeradmin.

I have two teeth that are infected. I went to see my dentist and he said that because these teeth have an abscess they need to be extracted and replaced. I hate the idea of extracting teeth unless it is absolutely necessary, but I am in a lot of pain. Do I have any other options?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

I am sorry about your tooth infection. You definitely could have some options. The first thing I would do is get a second opinion. The typical solution for a tooth infection is to get a root canal treatment. I would first see if you can have that done first. This enables you to save your teeth. Some dentists are better than others at putting effort into saving teeth. When you have dentists who don’t care about saving teeth, they just go for the easiest solution.

If a root canal treatment is not possible and the teeth do need to be extracted, then I suggest you do it with a sedation dentist so it will be as anxiety-free/pain-free as possible for you. I would not put this off. If the infection is that bad, I would consider it an emergency appointment. You will also need to replace these teeth. That doesn’t have to be done right away. The infection is the priority. Once you are fully recovered from that it will be time to look into a replacement.

The top tooth replacement is a dental implant. I would look into that first. It will be the closest to having a natural tooth back.

Please get your second opinion as soon as possible.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Problems with My Dental Implant

Posted on September 5, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had a dental implant placed. A few weeks later, the crown came loose. I called my dentist who suggested I come in. He did an x-ray then assured me that the dental implant itself was fine and it was just a matter of re-cementing the crown back on. However, when he tried to remove the dental crown it would not come off. He tried using a special tool, but when he did the dental implant came out with it. Do dental implants usually come out this easily?

Candy

Dear Candy,

Dental Implant Diagram

No, they do not. It would be obvious to any competent dentist that it was the dental implant that was loose the entire time. When a dental crown is loose, it is incredibly easy to remove. In fact, it would generally fall off of its own accord. It sounds to me like either your dentist was totally incompetent or he is unethical and was trying to cover up the fact that the implant was the problem. Fixing a loose crown is simple. Dealing with a loose dental implant is much more complicated. Either way, you need a new dentist.

There are a few reasons your dental implant could have failed. One of the most common is an infection. However, I don’t think that was your issue. You didn’t mention anything about any pain or a fever, both of which would be common symptoms of a dental implant infection. The most likely options have to do with the integration of the bone with the dental implant.

I don’t know what type of diagnostics your dentist did before your procedure, but one possibility is that you didn’t have enough bone to begin with in order to support the implant. A second issue is that the bone did not have enough time to integrate with the implant. I don’t know the time period between when the implant was placed and when the crown was, but there needed to be a significant period of time between the two so there is enough osseointegration.

Fixing a Failed Dental Implant

This is not as simple as just putting in a new implant. First, when the implant was ripped out by your dentist, it took even more of the bone with it. You will need a bone grafting procedure to build back up the missing bone. After that, you could have another implant placed.

In your place, I would insist your dentist pay to have all of this repaired by the dentist of your choice. This time, make sure you go to a dentist who has significant post-doctoral training in the implant procedure. Look at Dr. Becker’s bio to get an idea of what type of dentist you will need.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Gorilla Bite or Bad Crown?

Posted on September 5, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have had a dental crown for three months. Today it broke of, including the post. Is there a recommended fix for this? Should the dentist cover some of the cost? I was told a crown can last for years.

Preston

Dear Preston,

A woman grabbing her jaw in pain from TMJ

A poorly fitted crown can lead to TMJ problems

Bear in mind with everything I’m telling you here that I haven’t seen your dental crown or examined you. This is speculation. It is educated speculation, but still not an official diagnostic. Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like the tooth and post broke at the base. If that is the case, then the tooth cannot be saved.

It’s very possible the tooth was so far gone it couldn’t be saved anyway. That is not saying your dentist did anything wrong. It’s admirable any time a dentist tries to save a tooth. If it was a matter of the post being weak, it may be able to be re-done. If, however, the tooth can’t be saved you will need to replace it. The best tooth replacement option is dental implants.

Without a replacement, the teeth adjacent to the open space will shift or tip into it. Bite problems like that can lead to TMJ Disorder, which is painful.

Gorilla Bite

In some cases, there are patients with a bite so forceful it is known as gorilla bite. This can break a crown. Once you get a certain age, it will start to break your teeth down. One way to know if you have this issue is to look at the profile. If the bottom of the lower jaw is parallel to the upper jaw, that is evidence of gorilla bite.

If that is the case, you will need to get a nightguard or your natural teeth will start to break. This simple precaution will save you a fortune.

As to who pays for the crown; Without evidence of any fault on your dentist’s part, he won’t be required to pay for it. However, with a failed procedure, he may be willing to credit you for the cost of the procedure. That is completely up to him, though.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.