Dental implants come in many different forms. There are subperiosteal implants, ramus frames, blades, and root form implants. The subperiosteal implant is mostly used for area where the bone is not of sufficient height to accommodate root form implants, and is mostly used in shrunken lower jaws.

The ramus frame and blade implants are mostly used in the lower back jaw when the patient is not an ideal candidate for advanced bone grafting techniques. The most common type of implants used most of the time are root form implants that mimics the root of the tooth. The reasons given are addressed primarily to the root form implant. The implant consists of a titanium alloy that is biocompatible to bone and encourages the bone to form around it holding it in place. The healing process is referred to as osteointegration.

Once the implant becomes osteointegrated it helps to preserve alveolar bone. Approximately 60% of the bone in your jaws grew in response to the erupting teeth. When a tooth is extracted you go through a process of losing bone in that area that can last a lifetime. An implant helps to preserve this bone structure. It helps to prevent malocclusion. When you lose a back tooth you set up shifting in the other teeth. Teeth adjacent tend to move into the space and the teeth opposing drift up or down into the newly formed space. Some spaces become “food traps” and contribute to bad breath and periodontal disease.

Implants can slow facial atrophy. Roughly 150 Newton of force is applied on normally functioning back teeth while only 50 Newton are applied on the front teeth. Non-pathological forces on the back teeth contribute to the preservation of facial muscle tone, hence our “looks”.

Digestion is vastly improved with properly functioning teeth because the ability to crush food is enhanced.

People without teeth spend approximately 17% more on drugs. The Mayo Clinic studies also show that having teeth added approximately 10 years to your life expectancy.

There is an increased risk to the aspiration of food if you have no teeth. Aspiration of food is one of the causes of death in the elderly that hardly gets mentioned except in CPR courses.

Save money on denture adhesives. In America about $148million are spent on denture adhesives every year.

Complete lower dentures usually move about 10-12mm during function and contribute to diet modifications that are less than nutritious. Many denture wearers develop anti-social tendencies because they are unwilling to go out for a meal.

A dental implant with abutment and crown costs about the same as a three unit bridge replacing a single tooth. A Catscan guided program allow us to do the virtual surgery on the computer with you present so we can help you decide if you are a good candidate for this treatment.

IS COSMETIC DENTISTRY ART OR SCIENCE?

Cosmetic dentists have long known that different styles of teeth fit people with different facial structures. We have used the concepts of the Golden Proportion to help us with rebuilding an esthetic and functioning smile. Dentists who are very serious about cosmetic dentistry have an outlet by joining and participating in the various programs set up by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The more an office combines the science of materials and techniques, with the artistic talents of sculpting a harmonious smile, along with good listening skills, is the closer they can get to satisfying the patient.

As a resident at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, I remember clearly Ed Jurim, a young lab technician who worked on the development of thin porcelain wafers to cover unattractive teeth, telling us how they could solve cosmetic problems. They were called porcelain veneers. I became one of the early adopters of this conservative treatment mode with my longest case that I know of, still in place since 1989. Later on I studied with Larry Rosenthal who gave hands on courses for other dentists. His techniques on straightening rotated teeth were very helpful then and are still helpful today. Good fundamentals are always helpful. In North Carolina, Ross Nash and Rob Lowe have passed on valuable information to dentists, from the use of photography to lasers used to enhance your results. On the show, Extreme Makeover, despite all the work that the plastic surgeons did on the patients, if their smile was not brilliant, they couldn’t be showcased as a successful transformation.

Cosmetic dentistry involves working with different dental specialists to get a cosmetic as well as functioning occlusion. New types of braces, those that are “invisible” as well as “internal”, can provide answers to adults who may be self-conscious during treatment. The most important part of your cosmetic treatment is that the dentist who will place the final restorations must take the lead in deciding how the final result of orthodontics can help you achieve your goal.

A Periodontist may be needed to treat your gum disease, or sculpt your gums so that when you smile the amount of gum shown is not unattractive. An Oral Surgeon may be needed if you have lost considerable amount of bone or need your jawbone repositioned. A prosthodontist may be needed if you have had extensive tissue loss from cancer treatment or an accident requiring a special prosthesis. An Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist may be needed if a 3-D model shows an unidentified artifact. An Endodontist may be needed if you require a special root canal treatment, or retreatment of a previous root canal, to make your cosmetic restoration feasible.

Most of the cases treated in our office require combination treatments with or without sedation. Sometimes we have to do an extraction, place an implant, do a bone graft, root canal a tooth, add a fiber post, then choose the right type of porcelain for each tooth to get the smile to look uniform. A lot of patients ask for veneers or lumineers; however they may not be a candidate for those options because several teeth require several other types of treatment. The more a patient knows about what they want, the more we can advise them, as cosmetic dentists, if it is achievable or unrealistic. Sometimes the achievable requires a little more perseverance on the part of the patient and doctor. Cosmetic dentistry is a combination of science and art.

Give us a call at 336-841-0000.