“Best of Clearwater”

“I have been referring patients to Dr. Master for many years, and I can confidently say that he is the best prosthodontist in the Clearwater area. I frequently send him quite complex cases, and I do so with full certainty that he will do an excellent job. I also frequently recommend him to other dentists in the area who are having difficulty with some of their patients who need more complex dental work done, and they have been happy with his services. I can recommend Dr. Master to anyone who wants to properly restore their mouth to full health.”

Dr. James Gift, Oral Surgeon

“I was once ashamed of my teeth and embarrassed to smile. Two years ago, I walked into Northwood Dental for the first time, unaware that the doctors there would change my life. From Invisalign ("invisible braces") to dental implants, we began the process of fixing my teeth and perfecting my smile. The end result is better than I ever dreamed. I now have confidence in myself and thank Northwood Dental from the bottom of my heart.

“Northwood Dental is so much more than an excellent team of doctors. The office staff were so friendly and knew me by name when I walked in the door. Dr Master and Dr Hagan both invested so much time in getting to know me and making sure my teeth were perfect. Everyone seemed to care so much about me and that really meant a lot.

“Thank you Northwood Dental for all that you did and all you represent.”

Sarah Hoffman

Dental Implants Look and Feel Like Natural Teeth!

Benefits of Dental Implants

Mini Implants

Are you a candidate for Dental Implants?

Dr. Master has a post-graduate specialty in Prosthodontics. A prosthodontist designs, constructs and fits replacement teeth such as restorations for dental implants, crowns, bridges and dentures

A dental implant is commonly made of titanium and replaces the root of a missing tooth. Replacement teeth are then placed on the post to provide a natural, durable and esthetic replacement for your missing tooth or teeth.

Dr. Master will design your implant treatment plan, coordinating with the oral surgeon for the placement of the implant post. He then places a replacement tooth, which can sometimes be placed on the same day as the implant.

The first step will be to get a complete examination by Dr. Master to determine whether dental implants are the best way to replace your missing tooth or teeth. He will then prepare you a treatment plan.

Dr. Master is an expert in the restoration of teeth and the replacement of missing teeth. He is a prosthodontist, a dentist who has completed two or three years of advanced dental education focusing on the treatment of teeth that are damaged or missing (due to decay, wear, trauma, etc.).

Dr. Master has also completed an Implant Fellowship, during which time he made many teeth supported by dental implants.

The Benefits of Dental Implants

Not only does a dental implant fill unsightly gaps in a smile, they are also important to deter bone loss which will occur when a tooth is lost. The titanium post fuses with the bone preventing it from dissolving.

Fixed bridges and removable dentures are not the perfect solution to missing teeth and often bring with them a number of other problems.

When teeth are lost, the bone which held the roots of the teeth starts to dissolve, and so removable dentures — which use this bone for support — may slip or cause sores on the gums because the dentures will not be as stable.

Fixed bridges often require the preparation of adjacent healthy teeth. Decay, periodontal (gum) disease and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every seven to 15 years, compared to an up to 25-year life span for dental implants.

Would you be able to tell the middle tooth is really an implant?

Mini-Implants

Mini implants are a relatively recent addition to the tools available to the dentist. While they can be useful in certain circumstances, Dr. Master prefers to use traditional implants. Mini implants screw into the bone making them unsuitable for many cases. They have a greater liability of being placed wrongly from the tendency of the screwing action to fracture the bone. The main advantage of traditional implants over mini implants is the fact that the titanium implant fuses with the bone making the implants very stable.

Are you a candidate for dental implants?

The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant. Some people who have lost bone in their jaw can still get implants, but the bone must first be rebuilt using special bone-grafting procedures.

If your bone structure is adequate and bone-grafting is not required, the permanent dental implant, post and tooth restoration can be placed in one visit.

People who are currently wearing partial or full dentures can replace these with dental implants, or use implants to stabilize and secure the denture, making it much more comfortable.

People who are not good candidates for dental implants include:

Young patients whose jawbones have not fully developed.
Pregnant women
People with existing medical conditions. If you can have routine dental treatment, you can generally have an implant placed. While precautions are advisable for certain conditions, patients with such chronic diseases as high blood pressure and diabetes are usually successful candidates for dental implant treatment.
Patients who take certain medications such as steroids or drugs that suppress the immune system.

Call 727-797-5161 to schedule an examination and discuss your options. Or click here to schedule online.