2010年4月14日 « トップへ » 2010年4月17日
2010年4月15日
What can I do to avoid ever having to get dentures?
Q. I have been prone to cavities since I was a child. Now I am in my mid-30s and all of my upper teeth are false teeth. I always thought that I brushed my teeth more than the average person. I have bridges on both sides of my lower teeth. I can't believe that I am actually going to need dentures in 5 or 10 years in my 40s. That is too young! Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to prevent this. (N.J.)
A. In the condition that you are in now, the deciding factor to whether or not you will need dentures is proper treatment.
When you say false teeth, I assume that you are talking about metallic or ceramic crowns. Normally crowns are a suitable treatment when teeth are weak due to missing nerves. (In the same way that a tree will not easily fall over when it is alive but it will fall over easily if it is withered, teeth without nerves are brittle and fragile).
It seems that your teeth are most likely missing nerves. If this is the case, then too much force will cause them to become loose and they may crack. The best thing that you can do to prevent your teeth from falling out is to link the crowns together. When you link crowns they become stronger and force is distributed more evenly. This prevents weak nerveless teeth from taking the full brunt of a force.
It is possible to have all of your upper teeth linked together. A linking device called the key-and-key way connects the front 6 teeth, and the four molars on either side one by one. This effectively links all of the teeth together. There is slight movement because the joints of the jaw are also connected, but this movement is absorbed by the key-and-key way.
If you, Mr. N.J., leave your condition the way it is, you may eventually need to get full dentures. Through properly treating your nerves and having your foundation linked securely, you will be able to protect his teeth.
Of course it is still necessary to brush your teeth and receive maintenance from a dental hygienist. You must act now if you want to avoid having to get dentures in the future.
Can I use false teeth while waiting for my dentures? (person in their 40s)
Q. Can I use false teeth while waiting for my dentures?
Even though I am only in my 40s, most of my teeth are false teeth or a bridge. Recently the bridge on my upper front teeth fell out and my molars feel as though they could fall out at any moment. Currently I am planning to have a front tooth taken out because the root is cracked. The molar next to that one is loose and I was told I will need to get it taken out.
I have come to peace with the fact that I will need dentures, but will I really have to continue my daily activities with no teeth in my mouth while my dentures are being made? My work conditions will not allow me to walk around toothless so I am not really sure what to do.
Is there any way that I can have false teeth put in while I wait for my dentures? Thank you.
A. There are dentures available where you can have prosthetic teeth put in as soon as you have your problem teeth extracted. I get a lot of questions from patients who are worrying about having to spend time toothless while their dentures are being made.
We have come up with a few solutions to make sure that no one notices your oral condition while undergoing treatment.
If you have to live without teeth during treatment, eating and communication becomes nearly impossible. This can be a big worry for your family.
At our clinic, we absolutely provide false teeth for our patients while they wait for dentures.
Before having your teeth removed, we make a set of false teeth based on an assumption of the condition of your mouth post-extraction. It is very important to us to consider the esthetic and functional recovery of our patients' oral condition after extraction.
2010年4月14日 « トップへ » 2010年4月17日
