A quality dental care experience is about much more than fancy technology and advanced services - it also has to do with the details of how you're treated throughout each step of the process. Our team is always here to provide the support and kind, skillful attention you need to feel confident about your smiles future. We take our time with you, and we enjoy hearing about your personal oral health needs and goals.

You surely want the best for your family in every avenue of life, including their dental care. In most cases, this means spending valuable time visiting multiple dental offices to ensure they receive the personalized, skillful attention they need but not here in Feeding Hills, MA. Dr. Michitti enjoys being able to treat virtually every patient that comes through his door, from young children who are ready for their first checkup to senior citizens in need of reliable tooth replacement solutions.

We want to provide our patients with quality care thats also convenient for their busy schedules. Thats why Lifetime Dental of Agawam is a one-stop shop that includes a wide variety of different services, from relatively simple options like checkups and custom oral appliances to more advanced procedures like TMJ disorder treatment and dental implants. We also utilize state-of-the-art technology including soft tissue lasers and digital X-rays to ensure precise and successful results.

All medical emergencies are scary events, but many patients would agree that those that involve your vulnerable smile can be the most panic-inducing of all. Thats why we ask that you contact Lifetime Dental of Agawam right away if you or a loved one is struggling with severe oral pain and/or injury. Toothaches and/or broken teeth are never pleasant experiences. Dr. Michitti will see your case as soon as he possibly can, and our team members can provide guidance over the phone as well for how to manage any unpleasant symptoms as you make your way to our location.

As a child, Dr. Michitti had a lot of trouble with his teeth. He made too many trips to the dentist and spent lots of time in the dental chair. As a result, he has an unusual amount of empathy for his patients. He knows what it feels like to be a patient in search of a healthy, happy smile. These experiences along with the encouragement of his own dentist and from Cousin Paul (who was a dentist), Dr. Michitti turned his undergraduate focus on pre-medicine into admission and graduation from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry.

While Ohio State gave Dr. Michitti a strong educational foundation, he has never stopped learning. In fact, he is recognized as a Top 1% Dentist for achieving Mastership status in the Academy of General Dentistry. In addition, he has completed courses at the prestigious Dawson Academy in Florida. Through this program, he grew to appreciate the importance of treating people, not teeth. And, he realized the direct connection between a healthy mouth and a healthy body.

By completing more than 1,000 hours of continuing education, Dr. Michitti built exceptional skills in the placement and restoration of dental implants along with many other advanced, restorative techniques. More importantly, he established a network of dental peers across the United States. By working together and sharing best practices, this peer review group enables every member to deliver a higher level of dentistry to their patients.

MAGD stands for Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. Earning Mastership takes dedication to dental continuing education (CE) beyond graduation. Less than 2 percent of general dentists in the U.S. and Canada are AGD Masters. When you see a dentist with MAGD after their name, you can rest assured that they care about knowing the latest techniques and best practices in dentistry. AGD Masters practice these techniques in a classroom setting multiple times a year not every dentist does this.

Even with his dedication to clinical excellence and the challenges of running a small business, Dr. Michitti relishes time with family more than anything else. Often, he and his wife can be found on the deck of pools across New England cheering for both of their son and daughter at a swim meet. When not at the pool, he considers himself an amateur vegetable gardener (though the season is relatively short).

For those of you who have been to the dental office, Dr. Michittis true passion should be quite evident. He takes great pride in his handyman skills, and he welcomes the opportunity to share the latest issue of the Handyman magazine along with his own tips, techniques and ideas.

A dental implant is made of three parts: an implant post, an abutment, and the final restoration. The implant post is placed directly into the jaw to mimic the roots of the missing teeth. This provides an incredibly reliable and long-lasting foundation for your new tooth or teeth, which are attached via the abutment. Dental implants are widely considered as the gold standard of tooth replacement, and its easy to see why. When you rebuild your smile from the roots up, your new pearly whites will look, feel, and function just like natural teeth.

To provide their unique benefits, dental implants require a multistep process. Unlike other tooth replacement options like dentures or dental bridges, the dental implant process involves several stages over the course of several months. However, the time and effort are well-worth the stunning results! While every patients dental implant journey will be slightly different, here are the basic steps you can expect.

Bone grafting is necessary if your jawbone isnt thick enough to support your dental implant. It adds a piece of bone to areas that are weakened. Although it creates another step in your treatment plan, its time well spent to ensure your new smile has the foundation it needs to thrive.

After youve healed from any preliminary treatments like bone grafting pr periodontal therapy, we can schedule your dental implant surgery. While many other dental practices need to refer their patients to an outside specialist for this step, were proud to offer start-to-finish convenience! Dr. Michitti has completed thousands of hours of advanced training in order to personally complete every step of the dental implant process. Not only will this help save you time and money, but youll feel more relaxed during your treatment working with a familiar dental team.

Once weve ensured youre comfortable, Dr. Michitti will make an incision in the gums to expose the jawbone. Then, hell insert the dental implant post directly into the bone before suturing the gums closed once again. A protective cap will be placed over the top of the implant post to help maintain the shape of the gums while your mouth heals.

After your surgery, your dental implant post will begin a process called osseointegration. This is where the titanium post fuses with the surrounding bone tissue, essentially becoming a part of your jaw. Typically, it will take anywhere from four to six months before your mouth has healed enough to be ready for the next step of getting your dental implants. While this may seem like quite some time, the end result is a steadfast foundation for your smile thats well-worth the wait.

Once youve recovered enough, you may need to undergo a second minor surgery to have a small connector piece called an abutment attached to the top of the implant post. Then, once your gums have healed, youll be ready for the last step of the dental implant process.

While you recovery from your surgery, well create your final restoration. This is the custom crown, bridge, or denture that will act as your new teeth. We use the highest quality materials and state-of-the-art technology to ensure your final restoration is beautiful, durable, and long-lasting. It should blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile once placed!

Any patient missing one or more teeth may be a candidate for dental implant supported tooth replacement. Generally, the ideal candidate will be relatively healthy, have good oral health, and be able to dedicate the time and funds to completing the process. Well also take CT scans of your jaw to ensure you have enough bone density to support your new dental implants

Before getting dental implants, you may need to undergo a preliminary treatment such as gum disease therapy, a bone graft procedure, or tooth extractions. These treatments are critical to ensuring successful implant treatment but will increase the overall cost.

In addition, the dental implant surgery, which typically involves anesthesia to ensure patient comfort, also incurs its own cost. While many dental practices send patients to an oral surgeon for implant placement, Dr. Michitti has the expertise to perform start-to-finish implant treatment right here at Lifetime Dental of Agawam. Keeping the entire dental implant process under one roof will save you time and keep fees more compact and convenient.

Dental implants are a versatile restorative treatment that can replace a single missing tooth, several teeth, or even an entire dental arch. How many teeth you replace and which restoration you have placed will affect the overall cost of treatment.

Unfortunately, many insurance plans do not yet cover the cost of dental implants. However, your dental insurance may cover preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy or a percentage of the cost of your crown, bridge, or denture.

Every dental insurance plan is slightly different, so be sure to read your policy carefully before beginning implant treatment. If you would like assistance understanding your insurance coverage, do not hesitate to ask for help! Our knowledgeable staff has many years of experience helping patients maximize their insurance benefits and will be happy to review the details of your plan.

At Lifetime Dental of Agawam, we are committed to ensuring dental implants are within financial reach of all our patients, regardless of their insurance status. That is why we are proud to offer an in-house Membership Plan! For just one low annual fee, you can receive the preventive care you need and deep discounts on restorative treatments like dental implants. In addition, low-interest financing for dental implants is also available through CareCredit. Splitting the cost of implant treatment into smaller, more convenient chunks through CareCredit can help fit dental implants into your familys budget. Ask our staff for more details about either of these options!

Because Dr. Frank Michitti is trained on placing dental implants, were able to complete the entire process from start-to-finish from the comfort of our own office. Directly after your surgery, our team at Lifetime Dental of Agawam will provide you with post-op instructions to help you make a speedy recovery. Below, weve some dental implant post-op instruction in Agawam what you can expect throughout the healing period and when you should contact our office out of concern.

Implant surgery is one of the most taxing parts of this entire process, but with the right care and maintenance, you should be able to make a comfortable and fast recovery so you can be one step closer to having a complete and healthy smile again.

If youve never had an oral surgery before, it can be difficult to tell what symptoms are normal and which ones you should be concerned about. As youre healing, you should notice that any initial discomfort will gradually disappear. If it just seems to be getting worse, dont hesitate to contact our office. Here are some normal side-effects that you can expect in the days following your procedure:

Its incredibly important to keep your mouth clean after your surgery to make sure that your dental implants in Agawam successfully integrate with your jawbone. Here are a few oral hygiene and health tips:

Now that youre all healed-up and the dental implants have fused with your jawbone, youll be able to complete the last step of the processfinishing your smile by attaching your prosthetic! You may experience some minor sensitivity in your gum tissue, but with pain medication, it should be completely manageable. Let us know if you notice any swelling or bleeding, because these typically arent side-effects that you should experience after restoration attachment. Lastly, make the most out of your beautiful new smile!

Dental implants are restored in two treatment phases. During the initial phase, well surgically place the dental implants posts. Following the surgical placement of dental implants, youll need to wait three to six months before we can begin the second part of your treatment. During this waiting period, your dental implant post will fully fuse with the supportive tooth structures. Then, youll return for the second phase of treatment the creation and placement of your replacement teeth. The entire process can take as long as a year for some patients, but in the end, youll have a fully repaired smile that will last a lifetime.

Dental implants, with proper care, can last for two or more decades without the need for repair or replacement. In fact, many patients keep their custom implant supported tooth replacement prosthetic for their entire lifetime.

Directly following your dental implant placement, youll receive a special set of post-operative care instructions. Once the entire implant placement and restoration process is complete, your dental hygiene at home will largely go back to normal. Youll need to brush for at least two minutes at a time twice a day and floss daily. If you have a more complex implant supported fixed bridge or denture, we may encourage you to use a specialized flossing tool or water flosser to ensure you fully remove any plaque buildup around the gums. For the first few years following your dental implant restoration, we may recommend you visit our dental office three or more times each year for checkups. This simply ensures there are no complications, and your dental implant will remain in place for life.

Dental implants have a 95 to 98% success rate, depending on the age range of the patients. Patients under the age of 60 have a 98% success rate, and those over 60 have a 95% success rate. Still, 2 to 5% of dental implants fail. The key to ensuring your implant remains firmly in place is finding a skilled dentist like Dr. Michitti to place and restore your implant, carefully following your post-operative instructions, and keeping up with your oral hygiene in our dental office and at home.