A: If you’re feeling somewhat self-conscious about your teeth, or just want to improve your smile, cosmetic dental treatments may be the answer to a more beautiful, confident smile.

Cosmetic dentistry has become very popular in the last several years, not only due to the many advances in cosmetic dental procedures and materials available today, but also because patients are becoming more and more focused on improving their overall health.  This includes dental prevention and having a healthier, whiter, more radiant smile.

There are many cosmetic dental procedures available to improve your teeth and enhance your smile.  Depending on your particular needs, cosmetic dental treatments can change your smile dramatically, from restoring a single tooth to having a full mouth make-over.  Ask your dentist how you can improve the health and beauty of your smile with cosmetic dentistry.

Cosmetic Procedures:

Dental Implants: Dental implants are artificial roots that are surgically placed into the jaw to replace one or more missing teeth.  Porcelain crowns, bridges, and dentures can be made specifically to fit and attach to implants, giving a patient a strong, stable, and durable solution to removable dental appliances.

Thanks to the advances in modern dentistry, cosmetic treatments can make a difference in making your smile shine!

A: With many state-of-the-art dental treatments and prevention options available in dentistry today, there are fewer reasons for having to extract (remove) teeth.  When something does go wrong with a tooth, we try to do everything possible to restore the tooth to its original function.  Removing a tooth is the last option because we know that removal may lead to severe and costly dental and cosmetic problems if the tooth is not replaced.

Losing a tooth can be a very traumatic experience and it’s very unfortunate when it does happen.  Injury, accident, fracture, severe dental decay, and gum disease are the major reasons for having to remove a tooth.  If teeth are lost due to injury or have to be removed, it is imperative that they be replaced to avoid cosmetic and dental problems in the future.

When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone that helped to support that tooth begins to atrophy, causing the teeth on either side to shift or tip into the open space of the lost tooth.  Also, the tooth above or below the open space will start to move towards the open space because there is no opposing tooth to bite on.  These movements may create problems such as decay, gum disease, excessive wear on certain teeth, and TMJ (jaw joint) problems.  These problems and movements do not result immediately, but will eventually appear, compromising your chewing abilities, the health of your bite, and the beauty of your smile.

Options for replacement of missing teeth:

Implants - Are a great way to replace one or more missing teeth. They may also be great to support ill fitting dentures. A dental implant is an artificial root that is surgically placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is placed on the implant, giving the appearance and feel of a natural tooth. Implants are very stable, durable, and are the most aesthetically pleasing tooth replacement option.

If you are missing teeth, ask us if they need replacement and what options are available to you. Together we will select the best replacement option for your particular case. Prevention and early treatment is always less involved and less costly than delaying treatment and allowing a serious problem to develop.

A: We’re all at risk for having a tooth knocked out.  More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year!  If we know how to handle this emergency situation, we may be able to actually save the tooth.  Teeth that are knocked out may be possibly reimplanted if we act quickly, yet calmly, and follow these simple steps:

1. Locate the tooth and handle it only by the crown (chewing part of the tooth), NOT by the roots.
2. DO NOT scrub or use soap or chemicals to clean the tooth.  If it has dirt or debris on it, rinse it gently with your own saliva or whole milk.  If that is not possible, rinse it very gently with water.
3. Get to a dentist within 30 minutes.  The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful reimplantation.

Ways to transport the tooth

• Try to replace the tooth back in its socket immediately.  Gently bite down on gauze, a wet tea bag or on your own teeth to keep the tooth in place.  Apply a cold compress to the mouth for pain and swelling as needed.
• If the tooth cannot be placed back into the socket, place the tooth in a container and cover with a small amount of your saliva or whole milk.  You can also place the tooth under your tongue or between your lower lip and gums.  Keep the tooth moist at all times.  Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
• Consider buying a “Save-A-Tooth” storage container and keeping it as part of your home first aid kit.  The kit is available in many pharmacies and contains a travel case and fluid solution for easy tooth transport.

The sooner the tooth is replaced back into the socket, the greater the likelihood it has to survive and possibly last for many years.  So be prepared, and remember these simple steps for saving a knocked-out tooth.

You can prevent broken or knocked-out teeth by:

• Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports
• Always wearing your seatbelt
• Avoiding fights
• Avoid chewing hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, hard breads, etc.

A: Dr. Christian Loetscher is an experienced surgeon practicing at the highest standard of Oral & Maxillofacial care. He has extensive experience in Implant and Reconstructive Surgery, Orthognathic Surgery to correct irregularities of the facial bones, and removal of wisdom teeth. He is an Anesthesiologist and has also obtained a Masters Degree in Bone Grafting.  Our practice is in a state-of-the art facility with I-CAT imaging equipment on-site. Our highly experienced surgical assistants are always on hand with Dr. Christian Loetscher to assist in any of your surgical needs.

A: Yes. Our on-site RN and Surgical Staff will do a complete follow up with each patient and make sure they receive the up most quality care during treatment and for the following weeks after their surgery.

A: Dr. Loetscher is:

1. The first Surgeon is Georgia to perform Distraction Osteogenesis for Alveolar Ridge Expansion.
2. The first Surgeon in Georgia to perform the Teeth in an Hour and “Nobel Guide” Guided Surgery Dental Implant Technique.
3. The first Surgeon in Georgia to utilize BMP for alveolar ridge reconstruction.
4. Is one of the few surgeons in Georgia who performs all dental implants under a full sterile technique, rather than an aseptic procedure.
5. Unlike Periodontists, Dr. Loetscher is highly trained in all techniques of bone grafting: most often necessary as a preparatory step in dental implant placement.
6. Has the most advanced and best equipped outpatient Oral & Maxillofacial surgery center in the state.  For 18 years, Dr. Loetscher has been performing advanced orthognathic procedures and dental implant reconstructions in a “state of the art” outpatient surgical facility.  This provides a more sterile and technically stronger environment than most hospital settings.  Also, providing extremely advantageous saving in cost. 

A: Dr. Loetscher trained in Oral & Maxillofacial surgery at Ohio State University listed as one of the top schools in the United States. Offering a full scope of clinical oral surgery, in both outpatient activities as well as in major hospital maxillofacial procedures.

While attending the Ohio State University, Dr. Loetscher also obtained a Masters Degree in Bone Grafting.

Dr. Loetscher is highly experienced in all new phases of dental Implant TX, including ancillary bone grafting procedures and he has lectured on these topics all over the United States.

Our operating rooms are highly equipped and meet the standards for patient safety in the outpatient surgical environment. We have our equipment inspected regularly.

Dr. Loetscher is a certified anesthesiologist and equips our general anesthesia room with top of the line equipment. We offer FULL general anesthesia VS IV sedation. Dr. Loetscher is the only Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon that does this safe technique routinely.

Atlanta Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery's surgical staff is highly experienced and is here to support your surgical staffing needs. We are comprehensive in oral surgical procedures including being certified in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeries. Our Registered Nurse has been in the industry for 16 years and our staff is highly trained in dental implants, surgical extractions, bone grafting, and Orthographic surgeries.

Dr. Loetscher is the most experienced DENTAL IMPLANT surgeon in the area with over 18 years of experience.

We are here to ensure that you have a pleasant experience during your office visit. With years of experience within the industry, we will make sure your visit is as comfortable as possible.