Failing teeth and how this happens?

Do you have failing teeth?

If you have failing teeth affected by extensive dental decay or severe gum disease and you are worried about the prospect of losing your natural teeth, then this 2 part article series should provide you with some hope that you could have a perfectly functional set of teeth and good appearance for the future.

Failing Teeth Caused by Extensive Tooth Decay 

There are still a large number of patients who for all sorts of reasons reach a stage where their teeth are no longer providing them with the ability to chew effectively or whose teeth have become so extensively damaged by decay that they provide a poor appearance.

Failing Teeth Caused by Severe and Extensive Gum Disease

Some people may have teeth that are largely undamaged by decay but they have suffered from such severe gum disease that the teeth have very little bone supporting them and therefore they have become loose.   They may also suffer from recurrent infections and abscesses, or the teeth may be painful and cannot effectively chew food.  If you are one of those patients there are treatment options to help you.

The difficult decision to lose natural teeth

Accepting that the failing teeth need to be finally removed is hard to face for many people.  However, knowing that an attractive and functional solution is available that will once again allow you to eat in public without embarrassment and smile with an attractive set of teeth may help you face this treatment and provide you with hope for the future.

Memories of elderly relatives and dentures

Many people have trouble accepting failing teeth loss because they still have memories of their parents or grandparents with large plastic dentures sitting in a glass of water at the bedside.  However, modern treatment provides a very different set of treatment options ranging widely in technological complexity.

Treatments available to you:

• Conventional acrylic dentures, the simplest and cheapest option
• Implant-retained lower denture
• Implant and bar supported and retained Fixed-Removable Bridge/Hybrid Denture
• Implant-supported and screw retained Fixed Bridge

Fixed-Removable Bridges (also known as Hybrid Dentures) do not have to be left out at night like conventional dentures.  They can be replaced on the bar and worn at all times other than when cleaning.

Patient cleaning determines success or failure

It is almost entirely the standard of cleaning performed by the patient around the prosthetic devices (bridges and dentures) and the implant themselves that dictates the long-term success or failure of treatment.

If plaque removal is made easy, people can keep the prostheses clean.  If cleaning is more difficult, then people find it is too challenging and eventually they give up and the prostheses become coated in a thick biofilm of sticky plaque containing many millions of bacteria.  The end result is infection and failure.

Repeated success

Dr Priestland has been involved in this area of dentistry now for some year and has seen the amazing transformation of patients who go through the confronting experience of losing all their natural teeth to receiving one of these advanced and natural feeling appliances.  It is probably the most satisfying and pleasing treatment we provide as it has such a great positive impact on patients’ lives.

Laboratory excellence and teamwork

This type of work is extremely demanding of both the clinical dentist and the highly skilled laboratory technicians who together plan the work carefully and who then must work with a high degree of accuracy in a close team.

As a consequence, Dr Priestland provides this work in conjunction with Gold and Ceramics Dental Laboratory, Brisbane and Neil Simons Dental Laboratory, Townsville.   Such work involves technologies including computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) and computer-aided milling of various materials including monolithic Zirconia, Titanium and Cobalt-Chromium alloy.  Their work is exacting and of the highest possible standard.  This ensures a perfect fit of any prosthesis they make based on the accurate work and impressions of the dental surgeon with whom they work in close co-operation.

The results speak, and smile for themselves!

In part two of “What to do about failing teeth” we will explore in more detail various options for replacing teeth and which treatment suits you.

Contact the friendly team at NQ Surgical Dentistry today on (07) 4725 1656 or call in to see us at 183 Kings Rd, Pimlico QLD 4812

Failing Teeth – Part 2

For more information: Dental Hygiene Therapy