At Pearl Dentistry, we offer comprehensive general dentistry services for patients of all ages in our modern and homey San Antonio office. Dr. Sri and our friendly, positive staff are excited to meet you and help you reach your dental goals comfortably and enjoyably. We offer many comfort amenities and sedation options to make it as easy as possible for you to get the treatments you want and need.
Dr. Srikanth Cherukadu (Dr. Sri, for short) is a friendly, knowledgeable and skilled general dentist who has extensive training and experience in implant dentistry. In 2021, he was recognized as an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, making him one of only 750 dentists at that time to have earned this prestigious honor.
One unique trait of Dr. Sri is that he has received a complete dental education, training and licensure on two continents. He earned his Bachelors in Dental Surgery from India in 2006 prior to moving to the U.S. After arriving in the states, he was accepted to Boston University and earned his DMD there in 2011.
With his commitment to lifelong learning, Dr. Sri takes many advanced continuing education courses to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in dental techniques and technologies. This enables him to provide the most efficient, accurate and comfortable care possible for his patients.
In addition to earning the title of Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, Dr. Sri has been recognized as a Top Dentist in 20182020. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, Texas Dental Association and the San Antonio District Dental Society, and he shared his vast knowledge by serving as an adjunct faculty member at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in 20122013.
We take the health and safety of our patients and staff very seriously; thats why our practice follows strict sterilization and disinfection protocols as recommended by the CDC, OSHA and the American Dental Association. These protocols are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, influenza and other serious communicable diseases, ensuring the protection of everyone who comes into our office.
Using the data collected with the CT scanner, Dr. Sri meticulously simulates implant placement surgery in advance in special 3D implant-planning software. This ensures there are no surprises on the day of the actual procedure.
An intraoral camera is a camera at the end of a wand that lets us take pictures from inside your mouth. It is extremely helpful, as it lets us get an up-close look at whats going on in your mouth, and lets us show you too.
Intraoral scanners allow us to take digital impressions of your teeth and gums without having to resort to traditional goopy and uncomfortable impression material. The scanning is fast and comfortable, and the images recorded are in full color and very detailed.
Dr. Sri uses a high-tech facial scanner to help him plan treatment for New Teeth in One Day. The scanner records the contours of your face in 3D and, when paired with an intraoral scan, provides the dental lab with all the information they need to create beautiful full arches of new teeth that are tailored to complement your facial features.
Our hygienist uses a piezo ultrasonic scaler to provide comfortable deep cleanings. As opposed to a traditional scaler, that requires physically scraping accumulated tartar off of teeth, the ultrasonic scaler uses vibrations to dislodge tartar both above and under the gumline and then flush it away with a flow of water from the instruments tip.
We use a soft tissue laser to gently and comfortably treat gum disease. The laser disinfects gum pockets and kills the gum disease-causing bacteria within, and it cauterizes as it goes. As a result, the procedure and healing time are much faster than with traditional cut-and-sew gum surgery.
Our dental chairs may be the most comfortable youve ever experienced. They are ErgoSoothe massaging chairs. The chairs do not vibrate; they gently massage your lumbar and upper back to help you feel at ease and reduce stress.
We know that receiving room-temperature anesthetic is not a comfortable thing to endure. Thats why we have and use a dental carpule warmer that heats our anesthetic to match your body temperature prior to injection. This minimizes the sensations you will feel from receiving an anesthetic shot for optimal comfort.
We use the NOMAD Pro 2 handheld X-ray system to take fast and easy digital X-rays. Digital X-rays use far less radiation than traditional film X-rays, and the images they take can be viewed immediately.
Dental implants are the ideal solution when one or more teeth need to be replaced. A dental implant replaces the root of a tooth in the jawbone, providing a solid foundation for attachment of a permanent crown, bridge or denture. Implants replicate the look, feel and function of natural teeth so well that most people cannot tell the difference between them and their natural teeth!
Dr. Sri has over a decade of experience restoring patients mouths to full function and beauty with dental implants. He uses the latest dental implant technologies and techniques to make the treatment comfortable, efficient and long-lasting.
Dr. Sri is a dental implant expert who has earned the title of Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. As of 2021, he is one of only 750 dentists to have earned this designation, having received over 300 hours of advanced training in implant dentistry and passed a grueling series of examinations to determine proficiency in surgical and prosthetic dental implant techniques.
To date, Dr. Sri has completed over 700 hours of continuing education in implant dentistry, and he has studied under many of the leaders in the field, including Dr. Michael Pikos and Dr. Istvan Urban.
Dr. Sri takes the time necessary to properly evaluate the patients condition and plan out every part of the treatment using the latest dental technologies. With his cone beam CT scanner, he takes a 3D X-ray of the patients entire oral anatomythis reveals the density and quality of jawbone in all areas and the location of the nerves and other vital structures. He then uses this data in special software to simulate the surgical placement of the implants in advance of the actual procedure to ensure there will not be any surprises.
Because Dr. Sri handles every step of the processthe planning, placement and restoration of the implantshe is able to provide full implant treatment right in our office. You will not need to go anywhere else or see any other doctors for any portion of your dental implant treatment.
Depending on the complexity of the case, Dr. Sri may use a custom surgical guide that sits on the patients gums during the procedure and physically directs the implants into the precise locations, angles and depths determined in the software.
Dental implants are the most exciting and valuable tooth replacement option we have in dentistry today. Implants can be used in a wide variety of ways to replace one or more missing teeth, and they allow you to chew as well as natural teeth.
Dental implants attach to the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. The titanium implant body, which mimics the shape of a tooth root, anchors into the upper or lower jawbone in the precise position your dentist chooses for optimum function. During the healing process, the jawbone grows into the ridges of the implant body and locks it into place. This creates a secure connection to the jawbone.
This firm attachment of the dental implant to the jawbone allows us to use it as an anchor for many different types of tooth replacements, including single tooth crowns, bridges, partials and full dentures. Because the implant body is actually inside the jawbone, the restorations we create emerge from the gums, giving the most natural and best cosmetic appearance to the tooth replacement. Implants function as closely to natural teeth as possible because their support comes only from the jawbone, not from neighboring teeth.
A common misunderstanding of dental implants is the assumption that you must have one dental implant per tooth replacement. This is false, and that is good news! If you are missing multiple teeth in a row, you have the option of replacing them with a dental implant bridge.
Fixed full-mouth dental implants give you a way to replace all of your missing teeth without having to wear something removable. Many people do not want a denture that requires removal every night, no matter how well it fits. The opposite of removable, in dentistry, is fixed. A fixed dental restoration is not removable by the patient.
A normal, healthy adult mouth typically contains 28 teeth (assuming the four wisdom teeth have already been removed). Replacing these with dental implants does not have to utilize 28 dental implants. We commonly use a combination of single tooth dental implants and dental implant bridges, or a treatment called New Teeth in One Day to replace all the teeth in this manner.
Dental implants have revolutionized traditional dentures by providing firm anchors for the denture to attach to. We stabilize dentures using a minimum of two dental implants in the jawbone. The connection between the dental implant and the denture is through a specialty abutment called a locator. The locator has a corresponding receiver on the inner surface of the denture. This allows the denture to snap firmly into place and stay securely in place throughout any normal function.
One of the requirements for using a dental implant to replace a missing tooth is the presence of enough healthy jawbone. When you lose a tooth, the jawbone in that area begins to shrink because it no longer has a tooth to support. In some cases, the bone shrinks to a width and height that cannot support a dental implant. This does not prevent you from replacing your missing tooth with an implantit simply requires some preparation and building up of the shrunken bone.
The purpose of a bone graft is to improve the missing tooth site so that you can have an implant restoration. It transforms an area of bone that was insufficient into a healthy foundation for the dental implant.
The maxillary sinus cavities are air-filled spaces in the head, just above your upper back teeth and behind your cheekbones. For many people, the roots of the upper teeth extend up into the sinus cavities. Because the upper jawbones purpose is to hold teeth, when teeth are missing, the bone shrinks, allowing the sinus cavity to get larger.
This is a problem when you want to replace that missing tooth with a dental implant. Dental implants require a minimum length for strength and stability. If there is not enough jawbone to support the correct length of implant, we perform a procedure called a sinus lift.
The sinus cavity is lined with a very thin membrane that separates the jawbone from the sinus cavity and its resident bacteria. During a sinus lift, your dentist prepares the jawbone site for the dental implant and then lifts the sinus membrane to place bone grafting material and the implant itself.
We are committed to offering our patients a wide variety of treatment options. We know that some patients have experienced extensive dental disease and tooth loss. We believe this should not prevent you from having a stable, beautiful smile that functions almost as well as natural teeth. Our solution for many of these cases is called New Teeth in One Day.
New Teeth in One Day is a replacement of an entire dental arch of teeth that is supported by four to six implants in the jawbone. New Teeth in One Day functions well on both the upper jaw and the lower jaw. It is like a bridge in that it attaches to the dental implants and is not removable; it is like a denture in that it replaces all of the teeth in the arch.
Your comfort is very important to us, and we go out of our way to make your dental implant treatment pleasant and easy for you. Our homey and comfortable office is equipped with many spa-like amenities, including neck pillows, warm blankets and massaging dental chairs. Our doctors and staff are known for their friendly and compassionate chairside manner, and we offer sedation to help you fully relax and feel at ease for your dental implants treatment.
To allow as many people as possible be able to enjoy the life-changing benefits that dental implants provide, Dr. Sri keeps his pricing for treatment competitive and offers affordable financing options. Find out more about the cost of dental implants.
