DENTAL CARE

Q: I Think I Waited Too Long A: I almost expected her to start singing a song reminiscent of “Grease” as she uttered those words. For those of you who are great brushers and flossers, the term “periodontal” probably has no meaning. Let’s take the word about and discover its meaning. “Peri” means around or near. “Dontal” refers to the tooth. The term periodontal refers to the parts of the body that surround the teeth. Those parts are the gum and the bone in which the teeth reside. If someone develops disease of these structures, the term applied to that situation is periodontal disease or sometimes referred to simply as gum disease. If the gums and teeth are not healthy, infections and loss of teeth will occur.

My new patient, who just turned 50, wants to keep her teeth forever. She has struggled with the disease for many years. During this time, she was under the care of a doctor who helped treat and manage the problem. She also smoked, which hindered her ability to heal appropriately. Finally, life got in the way, and she stopped seeing the dentist. Her home care and vigilance became lax

The decision that I need to make will affect her for the rest of her life. One direction to go involves trying to salvage what is there with crowns and bridges. The other approach takes me down the total removal of all of her teeth. At this stage of her life, she has sufficient bone to utilize implants so she can have permanent teeth attached to her implants.

The first approach was prevalent before the advent of implants. I would take out hopeless teeth, and the remaining teeth are joined together with crowns and permanent bridges. Research and years of observation showed that joining teeth added life to the teeth. Frequent cleanings and checkups, together with smoking cessation, would make this case successful. Will it last forever as she had requested? Will she continue to lose bone? I needed to address these concerns.

Our second approach consisted of removing all of her teeth and placing dental implants to hold teeth in her mouth. The teeth can be permanently attached or made in such a way that she can remove them at will. The advantage of this direction is that we can utilize the present amount of bone to anchor everything into place. On the other hand, smoking will affect the success of our implant therapy. Our first direction may involve the further loss of bone and gum. If this occurs, then in the future, she would not have the ability to use implants to stabilize her teeth.

I did not decide on the spot. I need to investigate further and talk with my laboratory about the design of each approach. I also need to get to know this person better. Some situations are easy to develop a plan of action, and others like this are quite challenging. In either type of case, I tailor the treatment to your wants, desires, and the best result for your situation. If you have would like to receive a customized and personalized approach to your oral health, call us to schedule a visit. You can reach us at 440.951.7856. I look forward to seeing you.

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.

The Healthy Smile 34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com