Dr. Burr Bakke isn’t afraid to think outside the box.  As a dental implantologist for World Class Dentistry , a patient-centered cosmetic and implant reconstruction dental practice in Sarasota, Dr. Bakke prides himself on providing the highest level of patient care, which means he’s constantly exploring the latest surgical techniques and cutting-edge technological advances.  He isn’t afraid to learn new approaches to dental medicine in hopes of further advancing the profession — a practice Dr. Bakke learned from watching his mentors in the surgical field. But that ‘have no-fear, take-charge attitude’ isn’t something Dr. Bakke picked up in dental school. Rather...

I remember as a kid, always hearing about how Grandpa Joe died in his sleep. In fact, I remember hearing about quite a few people who died in their sleep. I thought that sure was a nice way to go if it was your time. Have you ever wondered why someone would die in their sleep? It seems like a pretty stress free time to die. The body was not under any physical stress…….or was it? Think of normal breathing like a garden hose that has water flowing freely through it. There is a large flow with no disruption of...

What makes Zirconia Implants different? Zirconia dental implants are made from Zirconium, a porcelain glass material. After processing and “centering” the material, it is metal free and incredibly strong. In fact, the porcelain crowns we use today are Zirconia. Metal implants are made of Titanium alloy. Any allergies or sensitivity to them? At present, there are no known allergic responses to Zirconia implants, where Titanium now has between 5 and 12% of the population allergic to it. Zirconia implants are very tissue friendly and we find the tissue grows around the implant beautifully. How do they look? Zirconia implants are...

Is there anything new you’ve learned over the past year? Dr. Bakke and I both graduated from the American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry in July. We learned about the relationship of dentistry to the whole body and how we can help our patients more holistically with our metal free dentistry and metal free implants. Are their changes in how you replace silver fillings? Yes, those silver fillings are around 50% mercury. Mercury vapor escapes from the filling no matter how long it has been in the mouth. Mercury is a known neurotoxin. The mercury also causes corrosion and...

Ceramic (Zirconium) Dental Restoration They call them ceramic dental implants, ceramic teeth, ceramic implants and ceramic restorations, sometimes they call them zirconium implants, but what are they really? You have been told they are metal free but are they really ceramic and are they really metal free? Are ceramic (zirconium) implants made from same stuff your favorite diner serves eggs-over-easy on? The same ceramic as the platter grandma used to bring out the Thanksgiving turkey on? The ceramic material that implants are comprised of isn’t the same as the ceramic material dishes and platters for the kitchen are made from...

Why You Need Us For Your Ceramic (Zirconium) Tooth Restoration As consumers we get in the habit of looking for fast results and low cost. Sometimes the really important components of a purchase get set by the wayside. There are dental practices out there who cater to that market group. This definitely compromises the entire procedure and ultimately the failure rate for any kind of restoration increases. What is true for cars, shoes, home appliances and anything else that we purchase to improve our lives is true for your mouth, sounds funny, I know. You want the best, and ultimately...

Did you know that despite all the specialties in dentistry, anyone can place a dental implant? It’s a surgical procedure that could have long term effects on hour health and your smile. Yet any dentist — any — can place one in your mouth and you would NEVER know if it was their first or one hundred and first surgery done. You would also never know if every implant they placed was successful or if they all failed. It’s a flaw in the dental system. But it’s a flaw you can avoid by asking the right questions. First of all,...

Now that you know you are going to need to replace a natural tooth with an artificial one, you have been weighing all the options. If you are on the fence at all, then you must be considering an option other than a ceramic implant. For a multitude of reasons, people start considering if they should first get a bridge, just for now, until they are ready to take that big step into oral surgery. If you are struggling with this same conflict, lets sort it now before it is too late. Getting a bridge will have a permanent and...

You’ve got the diagnosis, heard your options and now you are doing your research. Your dentist suggested a ceramic implant. Oh Boy. Now there’s no getting around it, you know that it will involve surgery and it seems kind of scary. Ok. Maybe really scary. Maybe you have even put off having the restoration performed. Yes, you know already that the passing of time means more bone loss and less optimal conditions, except that surgery seems so daunting, and yeah, scary too. Here is the deal. The facts are that a relatively healthy person has as much to worry about...

As a patient, you have a choice when it comes to replacing a tooth. From prostheses and bridges to permanent dental implants, options abound. For most patients and doctors, implants top the list. Why? In addition to their functional benefits, implants are also practical, durable, and much more pleasing aesthetically. At the Sarasota dental office of Dr. Bakke and Dr. Morris, we often prefer ceramic implants, also known as zirconium or zirconia, and their use is outpacing other options for tooth replacement at an exponential rate. Zirconia Dental Implants The material in the implants is zirconia, a ceramic that is...