Archives for July 2017

Will my face collapse if I get dentures?

Posted on July 25, 2017 by AllSmiles.

I went to see a new dentist the other day. I hadn’t seen anyone in a while, and I thought I’d better go. This new guy said he wants to pull all my teeth and give me dentures. But I heard that if you get dentures your face will collapse. Is that true? What do you think I should do?

Kevin L.
Atlanta

Hi Kevin,

We’ll get to a full explanation of facial collapse in a moment, but we should address a more immediate question first. Why does your dentist want to pull all of your teeth? You didn’t mention his reason, but this is the first question that should come up for you. It is almost always better to save as much tooth structure and as many teeth as possible. So you may want to pursue that question with him, and if you are not getting a clear answer, you may want to consult a periodontist who is trained to deal specifically with the gum disease that can lead to tooth loss.

Once you clear up that question, you may still decide that having your teeth pulled to get dentures is the only solution. If that is the case, you’ll want to know about facial collapse, which is a long-term side effect of losing all or most of your teeth.

drawing-of-facial-collapse-characteristics

Typical characteristics of Facial Collapse

The drawing above shows the characteristic collapse of the facial structure that we see in facial collapse. Not only does facial collapse make people look many years older than they are, there are more serious consequences.

Your teeth are attached to your jawbone by their roots and by ligaments. Once they are extracted, your body begins to dissolve the minerals that make up the jawbone to use somewhere else in the body.

The jawbone in Facial Collapse

This process progresses quickly immediately after the tooth is removed and then slows down, taking ten to twenty years to develop fully. The illustration to the above shows how the jawbone shrinks over the years. And you can see, in the top jaw, the teeth are still present. In the second jaw, the teeth have been extracted, and you can see that a portion of the jawbone has already been dissolved. The third jaw is even slimmer, and finally, the fourth jawbone shows just how severe facial collapse can be.

Your dentures, just like your teeth, will be supported by the bone structure in your jaw, which is why you will still have the ability to chew. But once the bone has disappeared, your chewing efficiency disappears as well. People with facial collapse can end up on diets that include only liquids and soft foods, and this can lead to other health problems.

There are many more solutions available now than there used to be. Periodontal treatment has made major advances over the past several decades, and dental implants are making it possible to avoid facial collapse because they replace both the tooth root and the crown. To learn more, click on this link to Pumphrey Periodontics’ What Are Dental Implants page.

This Blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey of Pumphrey Periodontics in Atlanta.

What is the difference between titanium and ceramic dental implants?

Posted on July 12, 2017 by AllSmiles.

My dentist has been talking to me about getting a dental implant, and I went out online and read about them. It seems like a very good solution for my one missing tooth because all my other teeth are really healthy and solid. But I’m confused now about whether I should get a titanium implant or a ceramic one. I know it’s not going to show, but I have it in my head that the newer zirconia implants are better. Can you let me know what you think?

Sara C.
Atlanta

Hi Sara,

Titanium Dental Implants

Sometimes it is easy to think that the most recent developments must be the best. In many cases, advances in dental procedures, methods, and technology have, indeed, made things better for patients and dentists alike. But it is still always better to know the full story before proceeding, especially in the case of something as important as a dental implant. In the long run, it is much more important to choose a fully qualified and experienced dentist who will not take shortcuts or try to work with cheaper materials than it is to choose your own favorite implant material.

We offer both the traditional titanium dental implants and the newer ceramic metal-free dental implants, which are also called zirconia implants. Both of them are very biocompatible, meaning that they are less likely to trigger allergic reactions.

Titanium implants have been used in dental applications for 20 years, and during that time, it has been studied extensively and found to have a good record of success. Titanium root forms also usually come in two pieces: the root form that is implanted into the jaw and the abutment, to which a crown is attached. This is important because the angle of the implanted root form often needs to be different from the angle of the crown. The drawbacks of titanium are that it is a dark metal, which can sometimes cause esthetic problems, and there are a very few people who have been found to have allergic reactions to the metal.

Ceramic Dental Implants

Zirconia, or ceramic steel, as it is sometimes called, has so much tensile strength that it has applications in the aerospace and other high-tech industries. It has been used successfully in knee replacements, and it is increasingly being used in dental applications. Zirconia implants are completely white, and they can offer esthetic benefits. However, zirconia has not been as thoroughly studied and doesn’t have as long a track record of success. And finally, zirconia implants are just one piece of ceramic, so the angle of the implant has to match the angle of the crown. This is important in some cases, where the implant angle needs to differ from the angle of the crown.

This Blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey of Pumphrey Periodontics in Atlanta.

My worst nightmare is coming true…I have a loose tooth!

Posted on July 1, 2017 by AllSmiles.

One of my worst nightmares is to dream that one or more of my teeth are loose. I’ve noticed over the past couple of months that my back molar on the bottom left is getting loose. I take pretty good care of my teeth, and my dentists have always said I have good teeth, so I usually go to get cleanings every other year or so. Now I’m afraid to go to the dentist because maybe I’ll need a root canal. Can you help me?

Thanks,
Ray in Florida

Hi there Ray,

There are several reasons your tooth could be loose. You haven’t mentioned whether you are experiencing other symptoms or if you have pain, but your dental routine gives a hint about the possible cause here. It is possible to have “good teeth” as you put it and to take “pretty” good care of them and still experience gum disease.

In fact, one of the most important reasons a dentist recommends a dental hygiene routine that include twice-yearly visits to the dentist is to monitor the health of your teeth and to make sure that gum disease doesn’t go unnoticed and untreated.

There are some situations in which a loose tooth doesn’t point to gum disease. Our teeth are connected to our jawbones with a layer of ligaments, which allow for some movement in the sockets. And if your tooth became loose suddenly or if you experienced an injury, that could also explain the looseness you are experiencing.

More often, though, loose teeth point to gum or periodontal disease. Other symptoms that accompany periodontal disease can include bleeding gums, tender or swollen gums, gums that have pulled away from the teeth, pus between the teeth and gums, persistent bad breath, and changes in the way your teeth fit together. As you can see from the image to the left, periodontal disease breaks down the supporting structures of the tooth.

Whether or not you’ve experienced any of these other symptoms, it’s important to overcome your fear and call a dentist or periodontist at this point. Although you say you fear a root canal, it’s probably more likely that you’ll need non-surgical gum treatment.

Take a look at Pumphrey Periodontal’s Technology page — just scroll down to the bottom to the information on the Perioscope. You mentioned how fearful you are, and the information on this one new piece of technology should help you overcome your fear. The perioscope can help make both diagnosis and treatment much easier than it has ever been before. And please remember that sedation dentistry has come a long way since you were a child.

Best of luck for your continued dental health.

This Blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey at Pumphrey Periodontics in Atlanta.