White Bear Smiles

White Bear Smiles

Dental Implant Restoration
The Best Solution For Tooth Loss

Dental implants look and feel like your natural teeth! Find out why dental implants in White Bear Lake are becoming the new standard in tooth replacement.

Woman with dental implants in White Bear Lake
Improve your smile today – call to schedule a consultation!
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Dental Implant Restoration in White Bear Lake, MN

couple with dental implants | Dental Implants White Bear Lake MN | White Bear Smiles

Are you missing one or more teeth? If so, you probably already recognize all the challenges this situation presents. Not only can missing teeth make speaking and chewing your favorite foods more challenging, you might also be experiencing the effects of the social stigma our culture holds against missing teeth. Missing teeth could be hampering everything from your romantic prospects to your career.

Although it might not be immediately noticeable, missing teeth also have serious consequences for your oral health. The roots of your teeth have an important relationship with your periodontal bone. As long as the roots are in place, the bone maintains itself and stays healthy. Once you lose a tooth, however, this process stops. Over time, the bone resorbs and becomes diminished. This eventually leads to other teeth becoming loose and, eventually, lost.

While other tooth replacement options fill in the gap left by missing teeth, none of them replace the missing root. Dental implants alone are able to mimic the relationship between the root and the bone.

Exploring the Benefits of Dental Implant Restorations

Restoring your smile with dental implants is a fantastic way to improve your oral and overall health. Dental implants from White Bear Smiles can give you the smile you’ve always wanted and boast these benefits:

Increased Confidence

You'll look forward to smiling again once you replace your missing teeth with dental implants, and your self-esteem will skyrocket!

Enhanced Function

Imagine eating all your favorite foods again; with dental implant restoration, you can easily bite down, chew, and speak properly.

Improved Appearance

You’ll be amazed at how beautiful and natural dental implants are; we will match your implants to your tooth color and shape.

Long-Term Results

With proper care, your new smile can last a lifetime. Dental implants are incredibly durable and boast a high success rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dental implants in White Bear Lake are definitely a practical option. They are not, however, suitable for everyone. Healthy gums and bone are necessary to support implants, which are metal posts that are surgically placed in the bone under your gums. Also, because the placement of implants is a surgical procedure, a candidate must be in good overall health. Since good periodontal health is key to the success of an implant, smokers and diabetics may not be candidates for implants.

The Dental Implant Placement Procedure

After a period of healing, during which the bone grows around the post, a replacement tooth, or crown, is attached to the post. Dental implants also can be used to secure a bridge or dentures when more than one tooth is missing.

Placing implants is not a dental specialty. So a team of dentists may be involved in placing an implant. One dentist, for instance, may do the surgery to put the implant in the bone and another may place the crown on the post.

Have More Questions? Call Our White Bear Lake Office Today

Talk to your dentist about whether you are a candidate for dental implants. Also, check with your dental insurance plan to see if the procedure is fully or partially covered.

Now, more than ever, there is hope and there are good options especially at White Bear Smiles. Lost teeth often result in changes of the bite over time, loss of function and nutrition, leading to more decay, bone loss, and breakdown -- and of course there's the esthetic issue of missing teeth.

These adverse effects can happen slowly, so that you don't really notice them until they are quite advanced. The more we can maintain and improve our dental health now, the better we can deal with the problems of dental aging.

man with young woman taking a selfie l dentist near meDiscover Modern Dentistry For Your Modern Lifestyle

Modern dentistry can more simply and easily correct and improve these situations with implants that look and feel like teeth, life-like bridges, thin and flexible partials, and even better dentures in White Bear Lake! Several options usually will work, and the patient and their dentist can determine which one is most appropriate for their situation and budget.

Contact White Bear Smiles To Learn More

Ask your dentist in White Bear Lake what options may be right for you, or feel free to call us for a complimentary consultation.

Yes! For many situations there is now a method for doing this, called CADCAM CEREC dentistry. Long-term studies have shown that this technique results in restorations of excellent esthetics and durability. The CEREC treatment procedure means:

  • No Conventional Impressions The CEREC 3D measuring camera scans the prepared tooth in just a few seconds. This eliminates the need for unpleasant silicone impressions.
  • No Temporaries CEREC restorations are milled out of high-quality ceramic material in just a few minutes. They are ready to be placed immediately. This takes away the need for temporary fillings and crowns.
  • No Long Waiting Periods Because CEREC restorations can be placed immediately, you need only one appointment. This means less time off work, less travel, and no need for more injections!

There will always be situations needing conventional dentistry but fortunately, CEREC dentistry will provide many benefits to many grateful patients.

Contact Our White Bear Lake Office

To find out if CEREC dentistry is an option for you, give us a call at (651) 426-8998 -- We will be happy to answer your questions on this new technology.

While more and more Americans are keeping all their teeth, tooth loss still happens and there are consequences – none of which are good.

First of all, teeth support each other, like good neighbors. When one tooth is lost, the teeth next to the vacated spot begin to shift. This can lead to problems with chewing and cleaning. Once remaining teeth begin to tilt, food can get trapped in gaps between the teeth and the gum. This can contribute to both tooth decay and periodontal, or gum, disease.

Will Losing A Tooth Effect Eating or Chewing?

When teeth are lost, the pressure of chewing is thrown off and can make eating difficult. Teeth bearing an inordinate amount of pressure in the new chewing pattern may shift and eventually loosen.

You may also notice a change in the sound of words you speak.

If you do lose a tooth, your dentist in White Bear Lake, MN can advise you on whether a dental bridge – an artificial tooth fastened to neighboring teeth – or an implant may be right for you. The best advice, though, is to keep your natural teeth through a regimen of good oral hygiene and regular visits to your dentist in White Bear Lake.

Call White Bear Smiles To Learn More

If you have or a loved one has lost a tooth, or teeth contact White Bear Smiles today. Our trained dental team can help you assess the situation and create an action plan sure to fit your needs and budget.

  • Do not bite together hard or eat on fresh amalgam fillings for 2 to 3 hours. Composite fillings set up hard right away.
  • Children should be observed until the anesthetic wears off. Due to the strange feeling ofman in green jacket smiling | dental fillings white bear lake the anesthetic, many children may chew the inside of their lip, cheeks or tongue and cause serious damage.
  • Sensitivity, especially to cold, is common for a few days following a dental restoration. Usually, the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth will be.
  • Sensitivity is usually most noticeable the first 12 to 24 hours after the anesthetic wears off.
  • The gum tissue could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days together with the anesthetic injection site.
  • The finished restoration may be contoured slightly different and have a texture different than the original tooth. Your tongue usually magnifies this small difference, but you should become accustomed to this in a few days. If the bite seems high or doesn't feel right please call our dental office.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

The “implant” part of a dental implant refers to a tiny post made of a biocompatible metal (like titanium) that is surgically placed into your periodontal bone. At White Bear Smiles, we coordinate with a special team of oral surgeons and periodontists to place your implant, resulting in high success rates.

Once placed, you’ll have a few months of healing time. During this time, the implant is actually integrating with your bone through a process called osseointegration. Once this occurs, the post will function as a replacement root and once again stimulate the bone to maintain itself.

Meet Our Doctors:

Dr. Ellen Swift at White Bear Smiles

Ellen Swift DDS

Dr. Ellen Swift was raised in Mahtomedi, MN by her father, Dr. Paul Anderson, and mother, Mary, a dental hygienist. Inspired to pursue a dental career, Dr. Swift earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the ...

Dr. Paul Anderson | White Bear Smiles | White Bear Lake, MN

Paul Anderson DDS

After earning his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Anderson continued at U of MN Dental School, earning his DDS degree and graduating with honors. He then completed a select ...

Restoring Your Dental Implant

Dental implants in White Bear Lake can be restored using individual crowns (which we can create right here in our office using our CEREC system), bridges, or dentures. Before we place your implant, your restoration will be planned.

couple golfing | Dental Implants in White Bear Lake MN | White Bear SmilesIndividual crowns will be used to replace each missing tooth and will require individual posts to be placed. While this option can cost more if you are missing multiple teeth, it is also the closest we will come to mimicking your own teeth.

Bridges are a popular choice for replacing multiple missing teeth in a row. Because we can replace several missing teeth with one or more implants, this can be a more affordable option for many people, plus it allows us to place a bridge without having to alter existing healthy teeth.

Implant-supported dentures are quickly gaining in popularity. This option combines the affordability of dentures with the permanence and dental health benefits of implants. The implants are fitted with a snapping mechanism that connects to the dentures so that you can literally lock your dentures into place. People who choose this option love the added security and not needing to worry about embarrassing slips at exactly the wrong moment.

If you're considering a new dentist, I highly recommend White Bear Smiles.

I cracked a tooth while traveling and called White Bear Smiles for an appointment as soon as I returned. Unfortunately, I needed to have the tooth removed, and decided to go ahead with an implant to replace it. Before this experience, I had only received routine preventative care there, which was always excellent. 

Just yesterday, I had the final installation of my new tooth, and it fits perfectly! It feels completely normal - honestly, I wouldn't even know it was an implant. 

If you're considering a new dentist, I highly recommend White Bear Smiles. My experiences there have been consistently first-rate, and it's clear that the staff genuinely enjoys their work, which makes all the difference. 

- John S. 

Dental Implant Restoration Technology

our 3d scanner being used on a patient at white bear smiles

Cone Beam Cat Scans - 3-D Imaging!

3-D Imaging enhances the dentist's ability to diagnose, treatment plan, and create the most predictable outcomes. It is invaluable in the areas of IMPLANTS, ORAL SURGERY, ORTHODONTICS, PATHOLOGY, AND EMERGENCIES. It gives us greater diagnostic accuracy and confidence and allows us to provide better dental treatment. 

For the patient, it is fast and easy, done here during normal appointment time, and with a low radiation dose. It is truly one of the "game-changers" in dentistry today!

Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants in White Bear Lake?

If you are missing teeth, please give us a call and schedule a consultation with White Bear Lake dentist Dr. Paul Anderson. Dr. Anderson will discuss your needs, goals, and concerns with you to see if dental implants are the right choice.

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