dental implants Utah County

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants: A Checklist for Success

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Categories: Beautiful smile, Dental Implants, Restorative Dentistry

Missing a tooth can change everything about your day. It affects how you smile, how you chew, and even how confident you feel when meeting new people. If you are exploring options for tooth replacement, you have likely heard about the gold standard in restorative dentistry: dental implants. But are they right for you?

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo, UT, we help patients navigate these important decisions every day. Dr. Chris Hammond, one of the premier dentists in the area, and our team have been proudly serving our neighbors in Provo, Orem, and Utah County since 1996. We understand that restoring your smile is a personal journey.

Below is a checklist to help you understand the factors that make you a prime candidate for dental implants.

The Candidate Checklist: What We Look For

A good candidate for dental implants typically has healthy gums, sufficient jawbone density, excellent oral hygiene, and a commitment to maintaining long-term dental health

Dental implants are unique because they don’t just sit on top of your gums; they integrate directly with your jawbone. This process, called osseointegration, requires specific conditions for success. Here is what we look for during an evaluation:

1. Sufficient Jawbone Density

This is the most critical factor. The implant is a titanium post that acts as a tooth root. It needs a solid foundation of bone to anchor securely. If you have been missing a tooth for a long time, you may have experienced some bone loss. However, even if your bone density is low, bone grafting procedures can often rebuild the area to support an implant.

2. Healthy Gums

Your gums need to be free of periodontal disease. Gum disease can cause infection around the implant, leading to failure. We always ensure your soft tissues are healthy and pink before proceeding with surgery.

3. Good General Health

Because placing an implant is a surgical procedure, your body needs to be able to heal properly. Certain conditions like uncontrolled diabetes or autoimmune disorders can affect healing. Smoking is also a significant factor; it restricts blood flow to the gums and can slow down the healing process, so quitting or pausing smoking is highly recommended for success.

4. Commitment to Oral Hygiene

Implants are incredibly durable, but they still require care. You must be committed to brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry for regular cleanings.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

If you meet the criteria above, the long-term advantages of dental implants are unmatched by other replacement options like dentures or bridges.

  • Exceptional Durability: With proper care, implants can last a lifetime. They are a permanent solution rather than a temporary fix.
  • Natural Appearance and Feel: Implants look and function exactly like your natural teeth. You can eat your favorite foods—apples, steak, corn on the cob—without worry.
  • Improved Oral Health: Unlike bridges, which require grinding down adjacent healthy teeth for support, implants stand alone. This preserves more of your natural tooth structure. Furthermore, the implant stimulates the jawbone, preventing the bone loss that typically occurs when a tooth is missing.

Take the Next Step in Provo

Determining candidacy isn’t something you can do alone in front of a mirror. It requires advanced imaging and a professional eye. If you want to learn more about implant dentistry and find out if teeth implants are a suitable tooth replacement for you, we are here to help.

Don’t let a missing tooth hold you back any longer. Call and schedule a visit today at our Provo office. Let Dr. Chris Hammond and our experienced team help you reclaim your smile and your confidence.

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap To Open In Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

Don’t Let Poor Oral Health Take You Out Of The Game

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Categories: Dental Health

Utah County cosmetic dental and tooth implants

It’s hard to win a gold medal if you have a toothache. A recent study cited in the British Journal of Sports Medicine explored how poor oral health affects athletic performance at the elite level.

“More than 40% of athletes were bothered by their oral health with 28% reporting an impact on quality of life and 18% on training and performance.”1

The dental troubles experienced by Olympians and professional athletes are not any different than those found in the general population: tooth decay, dental erosion, periodontal disease, and inflammation around partially erupted wisdom teeth. It’s vital to note that these troubles are largely preventable.

Athletes are also at risk for mouth injuries suffered while competing or training.  Tooth trauma can prevent injured athletes from competing in the short term and cause ongoing complications down the road.

Whether you are an Olympic runner or a busy working mom who seems to be running all the time, dental health affects your overall health and quality of life. Don’t let your performance suffer because of poor oral health.

If it has been a while since you have had a dental exam, we invite you to schedule a check-up and cleaning by calling Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry at 801-374-0070.

Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry is located at 3575 N 100 E Ste 200 in Provo, Utah. We provide general and cosmetic dental procedures including dental implants and porcelain veneers. You can read more about our services at https://www.cosmeticdentistryutahcounty.com/patient-services/.

Dr. Hammond
Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry
3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah 84604
801-374-0070

1Ashley, Di Iorio, Cole, Tanday, Needleman, “Oral health of elite athletes and association with performance: a systematic review,” British Journal of Sports Medicine, November 11, 2014, http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2014/11/11/bjsports-2014-093617.full?g=w_bjsm_open_tab, accessed on December 19, 2014

The Health And Beauty Consequences Of Missing Teeth

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Categories: Restorative Dentistry

Utah County tooth implants

Hello. We are Dr. Hammond. Thanks for visiting our blog. Today’s post focuses on missing teeth and bone health.

Our teeth have many important functions. We need them to chew our food, talk, and smile. But have you ever considered their role in holding up your face? When we lose teeth, the bone around the site of the extraction begins to shrink. This, in turn, causes our facial muscles to sink in and collapse.

We sometimes think of bone as a solid mass, unlike the softer tissues in our body. In reality, below the seemingly rock-hard surface, bone tissue is full of small holes – kind of like a sponge. In the interior bone tissue, the bone is continually regenerating itself. This vital process is sometimes called “bone metabolism.” In the jaw bone, the movements of the teeth stimulate this process of rebuilding. When the tooth is gone, the bone starts to shrink as blood flow is reduced.

Provo people with missing teeth not only have an unsightly gap in their smile, they begin to look older because of the bone recession and eventual facial sagging.  It is not simply an issue of attractiveness – it poses serious health dangers. It may become difficult to chew food, making it harder to get adequate nutrition. Mental health can also be affected when a patient with missing teeth loses confidence in themself or withdraws from social situations because they are self-conscious about their smile.

Modern Provo dentistry to the rescue. Dental implant technology provides a tooth restoration solution that maintains healthy bone metabolism while providing near-normal tooth function. For patients missing many (or all) of their teeth, it may not be possible to replace every single tooth with an implant. In many of these cases, dental implants can be used to provide an anchor for a partial denture.

What if your bone has shrunken so much that there is not enough to support an implant? You may be a candidate for bone augmentation or bone grafting. This procedure is routinely executed with success in the Orem area and can be done with your own bone, synthetic bone material or bone from a cadaver.

If you are missing teeth, don’t resign yourself to dentures. Tooth implants can provide a beautiful smile! Schedule a consultation with Drs. Dr. Hammond by calling 801-374-0070.

Don’t Let Poor Oral Health Take You Out Of The Game

Posted on
Categories: Dental Health

Utah County cosmetic dental and tooth implants

It’s hard to win a gold medal if you have a toothache. A recent study cited in the British Journal of Sports Medicine explored how poor oral health affects athletic performance at the elite level.

“More than 40% of athletes were bothered by their oral health with 28% reporting an impact on quality of life and 18% on training and performance.”1

The dental troubles experienced by Olympians and professional athletes are not any different than those found in the general population: tooth decay, dental erosion, periodontal disease, and inflammation around partially erupted wisdom teeth. It’s vital to note that these troubles are largely preventable.

Athletes are also at risk for mouth injuries suffered while competing or training.  Tooth trauma can prevent injured athletes from competing in the short term and cause ongoing complications down the road.

Whether you are an Olympic runner or a busy Provo working mom who seems to be running all the time, dental health affects your overall health and quality of life. Don’t let your performance suffer because of poor oral health.

If it has been a while since you have had a dental exam, we invite you to schedule a check-up and cleaning by calling Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry at 801-374-0070.

Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry is located at 3575 N 100 E in Provo, Utah. We provide general and cosmetic dental procedures including dental implants and porcelain veneers. You can read more about our services at https://www.cosmeticdentistryutahcounty.com/patient-services/.

Dr. Hammond
Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry
3575 N 100 E
Provo, Utah 84604
801-374-0070

1Ashley, Di Iorio, Cole, Tanday, Needleman, “Oral health of elite athletes and association with performance: a systematic review,” British Journal of Sports Medicine, November 11, 2014, http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2014/11/11/bjsports-2014-093617.full?g=w_bjsm_open_tab, accessed on December 19, 2014

Do You Have Xerostomia?

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Categories: General Dentistry

Bad Breath Treatment Orem

Most dental patients in the Orem and American Fork area know that they can go to their local dentist for toothaches, cleanings, and bleeding gums (not to mention cosmetic dentistry procedures such as a smile makeover), but there are some lesser-known oral concerns that your Lehi dentist can also help you with.

Dry mouth, technically called xerostomia, is caused by a lack of saliva and can be quite uncomfortable. It also predisposes Utah dental patients to a host of problems such as tooth decay and gum disease. There are some treatments, but a lot of Provo residents experience dry mouth because of certain medications or diseases, so make sure to bring a list of current medications with you to your appointment.

Bad breath is usually a result of bacteria build-up in the mouth, and regular trips to your Orem dentist can help you keep your mouth clean and the bacteria count within a sweet-smelling range. But, if you have good oral hygiene and regular check-ups and cleanings, then your dentist will be crucial in helping you discover the source of your halitosis.

Jaw clicking and jaw discomfort are symptoms you should have checked with your dentist immediately as they can be a signs of serious oral issues.

Hi. We’re Dr. Hammond, a team of experienced Provo dentists. We want our patients to come to us with all of their oral concerns. The friendly staff here at Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry would love to schedule an appointment with you and answer any questions you have about the ailments mentioned above, as well as questions about teeth whitening and Utah County dental implants. We would love to hear from you today!

Sedation dentistry
Invisalign
Mini implants
Dental crowns
Porcelain veneers

Dr. Hammond
Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry
3575 N 100 E
Provo, Utah
801-374-0070
https://www.cosmeticdentistryutahcounty.com/patient-services/

Provo Parents Need To Understand The Importance Of Baby Teeth!

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Categories: Family Dentistry

Kid-friendly Provo dentist

Today’s Provo children’s dental blog focuses on the issue of caring for baby teeth. Why would you take care of something that’s just going to fall out and be given to the tooth fairy? It’s a good question and it has a even better answer.

Orem, Utah County, and Provo parents shouldn’t feel like they are wasting their time, because baby teeth are more important than many people might think. Baby teeth are needed to keep the proper amount of space available for the permanent teeth that will come in later.

Baby teeth are also invaluable in the development of clear speech. This is especially important for Provo parents who are dying to know what their child means when they point to something repeatedly and say ‘scklash’ or ‘grag-grag’.

Having healthy baby teeth will also help your child develop a healthy diet, because difficulty chewing can lead to the rejection of many different foods.

And, finally, tooth decay and infection can be passed down from baby teeth to permanent teeth as they develop below them. That’s not what you want for the teeth that Provo kids are going to have for the rest of their lives. You may be setting them up to need cosmetic dentistry procedures such as veneers and dental implants.


Hi. I am Dr. Hammond, and we are experienced, kid-friendly Provo dentists. We want our patients to have the best oral health possible. We also want them to look their best, so if you have any questions about a smile makeover or teeth whitening, give us a call at 801-374-0070.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry we offer:

Cosmetic dentistry
Sedation dentistry
Dental implants
Dental crowns

Thanks for reading the Provo dental blog, and contact us today for all your dental needs!

Dr. Hammond
Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry
3575 N 100 E
Provo, Utah 84604
801-374-0070
https://www.cosmeticdentistryutahcounty.com/about-us/

The following website was used as source material for this blog:
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-your-childs-teeth, accessed on Feb. 12, 2013