Celebrate with Solace Hair & Esthetics Celebrate with ... - Biz Comb

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study was done among people over
90 years of age to find out what they
would do differently if they were
Agiven a second chance in life.
Among the top three responses was, “I wish I had
kept my teeth.” When asked why, they claimed
that dentures were not a good treatment option;
they had trouble with dentures not fitting, getting
loose over time and the lack of power to eat foods
they enjoyed when they had their natural teeth.
The maximum pressure that can be applied with
the best complete dentures is 50psi, with natural
teeth it's around 200psi!
In this issue, let's talk a little about what
happens when teeth are extracted. Every year a lot
of patients get teeth extracted, some necessary
but many elective. In our mouths we have the
upper and lower jaws. The jaws and teeth give
shape to our faces. Normally there is a layer of
bone on top of the jawbone that holds teeth.
When a tooth is extracted, a fair chunk of this
bone is lost, roughly 25 per cent in height and
thickness. It doesn't stop there. If nothing is
done, this bone keeps shrinking every year by a
millimeter. Over ten years one can lose as much
as a centimeter. This can change the shape of the
face. This is noticeable, especially among patients
who have complete dentures; their faces collapse
when they have their dentures out.
I have found that patients readily get molars
extracted because they are in the back and no one
can see them, but remember, more bone is lost
when they are gone; the bigger the teeth, the more
bone that is lost; patients are then forced to eat on
their front teeth. The front teeth are not meant
for chewing, only cutting and will break and wear
down over time from the excess forces and work
applied to them. A lot of times when patients do
realize what is happening, they have to either get
the rest of the teeth extracted, due to financial
reasons, which leads them to dentures, or get
partial dentures. Statistics show that only
Dr Sajid Syed
50 per cent of patients who get partial dentures like wearing them.
The best option is to get the missing teeth back, which brings us to the next
question. What is the best way to get missing teeth replaced? One can choose from
implants, bridges, partials or complete dentures. Today, I am going to focus on
implants. Simply put, an implant is a titanium prosthesis. Implants are placed in the
jawbone and they represent the roots of natural teeth. There is a middle piece that
connects the implant to the crown of the artificial tooth and is called an abutment.
Implants can also be used to hold dentures down -- especially when they don't fit --
which is a boon for patients who are missing teeth or have complete dentures. The
best advantage of having implants, compared to other options, is that they help
maintain bone; they maintain and prevent bone from melting away over time.
Bridges, complete dentures and partials do not maintain bone in anyway whatsoever.
I understand placing implants is a surgical procedure and this can scare patients,
pushing them away from getting this treatment done. At my practice I have found
that most of my patients are surprised at how well they heal and how little pain they
have after the surgery.
If you have one or more teeth missing or have an ill-fitting denture, talk to your
dentist about implants, it's a treatment option that might just change your life.
If you have more questions, feel free to give us a call at Monarch dentistry, the number is
905 641 2242.
Good luck and best wishes!