Kitsie Hendrix DDS

Poor dental care leads to more problems than just a toothless smile. Consider these facts:

• Most people are not aware that untreated gum disease puts them at 10 times the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
• Statistics show that 69 percent of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Furthermore, by age 74, 26 percent of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.

Periodontal disease contributes to tooth loss. Essentially, plaque and tartar build on your teeth over time due to insufficient brushing and flossing, leading to the loss of supporting tissue around a tooth. As plaque builds on a tooth, bacteria in the plaque attack the bone around the tooth as well as the fibers that connect the tooth to the bone. As the fibers and bone are destroyed, a pocket, or space, forms between the gum and the tooth. Without proper hygiene the process may continue, sometimes without symptoms, until the tooth is endangered.

Fortunately, options do exist for restoring teeth—and a healthy smile.

Introducing Guided Tissue Regeneration

Teeth with as much as 90 percent bone loss can be saved with a wonderful procedure called Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). As shown in the images below, when bone and attachment are lost around natural teeth due to gum disease, the area is opened. The roots of the teeth are cleaned to remove infection. Then the roots are treated to remove toxins that have been absorbed into the roots.

The area is closed and covered with a Gore-tex membrane. Gore makes Teflon membranes that are used in vascular and nerve surgery or even camouflage hunting coats. The membrane just keeps the gum from making a new pocket that cannot be cleaned. The slow growing attachment and bone grow up the root. The usual growth is 2-10 mm. This area is cleaned weekly during a six week healing period. Then the membrane is removed, like a Band-aid. Presto! New support to a previously weak tooth.

GTR can be used to repair defects around previously placed dental implants or to create additional bone in deficient areas before placing dental implants. The surgical hole can be filled with several different types of materials before covering the area with a protective membrane barrier.

The Way Implants Work

Providing there is enough bone, implants can replace the teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements surgically placed in the jawbone.

Composed of titanium metal that “fuses” with the jawbone through a process called “osseointegration,” dental implants never slip or make embarrassing noises that advertise the fact that you have “false teeth” and they never decay like teeth anchoring fixed bridges.

A dental implant designed to replace a single tooth is composed of three parts: the titanium implant that fuses with the jawbone, the abutment which fits over the portion of the implant that protrudes from the gum line, and the crown which is fitted onto the abutment for a natural appearance. This implant is allowed to fuse to the bone over three to six months. If the circumstance allows, the crown over the implant can be placed the same day.

If you are missing several teeth in the same area of your mouth, you may still enjoy the confidence and lifestyle benefits that come with dental implants. For example, if you were missing six front teeth, two implants could be placed supporting six teeth on a fixed, cemented in bridge. No more removable appliance. Your replacement teeth will be attached to the implants to allow excellent function and prevent bone loss. With an overall success rate of about 95 to 98 percent and almost 50 years of clinical research to back them up, dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth.

If lack of care or trauma has resulted in tooth loss, patients can take comfort in knowing options exist for restoring a healthy smile. Ask your dentist about GTR or implants and smile all over again.

By Kitsie Hendrix, D.D.S. - Kitsie Hendrix, D.D.S. graduated from Emory University School of Dentistry, subsequently earning certification in periodontology from the University of Pennsylvania. A periodontist, Hendrix specializes in gum and dental implant surgery and has practiced for over 27 years. Passionate about people, Hendrix has traveled worldwide providing free dental care through mission work.