2014年1月12日 - 2014年1月18日 « トップへ » 2014年9月14日 - 2014年9月20日
2014年9月12日
Is there another way to protect remaining teeth without using the telescope system?
Q. Earlier I sought consultation concerning dentures for my upper and lower teeth. Due to the cost, I am thinking about getting Riegel telescope dentures for my top teeth first and then getting them for my bottom teeth at a later date. I was told that my supporting teeth would go bad if I continue to use dentures covered by health insurance. I definitely want to get the best dentures for my upper teeth. But, with the high cost, I won't be able to switch to dentures that I can pay out-of-pocket for my lower teeth right away. Is there something that I can do for my bottom teeth to preserve them for 5 years or more while I save?
A. I always recommend to have the upper and lower teeth treated at the same time if at all possible, but some patients have no choice but to receive treatment at separate times due to cost. The clasps on dentures covered by insurance will accelerate tooth loss, as you have said. And, unfortunately, I often find it the case that these dentures must be replaced after as little as three years due to tooth loss. Telescope treatment is costly. So if you have no other option but to wait 5 years before treating your bottom teeth, then I would have to recommend a treatment known as cast partial.
As opposed to clasps, there is a treatment method called I-bar partial. Teeth are weak to sideways wiggling, but the I-bar disperses wiggling forces around the axis of the tooth. This causes less damage to the tooth than clasps that wiggle teeth sideways, providing relatively better protection. Also, the bar piece of partial dentures covered by health insurance causes the force of lopsided bites to be absorbed almost completely by that side, but partial cast dentures are designed so that subduction force is absorbed as much as possible. But just like the telescope system, these dentures are not covered by health insurance which means that you will have to pick up the tab, which often comes around 650,000 yen.
2014年9月10日
I am currently living in Singapore. How long does it take to make dentures?
Q. I am currently living in Singapore. I was thinking about having your clinic make me a set of partial dentures using the telescope system the next time I travel back to Japan. How long does it take to make dentures? I want to know so that I can schedule my next trip to Japan.
Up until now I have been using removable false teeth and crowns, but it is hard to close my bite. It looks like I may be suffering from TMJ arthrosis and some other mouth problems. My molars have developed cracks and upon thinking about what I am going to do, I came upon your homepage and got excited about your unique partial dentures. I am looking for a treatment option other than implants.
Thank you.
A. Since you are living overseas, I think it is best if we conduct consultation to some extent through mail. If I can only have a little more information about the condition of your mouth, I may be able to provide a more concrete answer.
For example, how many teeth are you missing? And do you have any other false teeth or crowns? If I know, can you please tell me the region of your tooth that is undergoing nerve treatment? Once I have this information I may be able to recommend a treatment.
Our examinations are all set up by appointment so if you can make an appointment beforehand then we can focus our time better. That said, our clinic offers the telescope system. It is a fairly complicated manufacturing process and it takes quite a while for the technicians to make a set of dentures. It usually takes around 1 month to progress from one step of the process to the next.
Every case is different but typically we start by taking a mold of your inner mouth. This requires 4 separate visits to our clinic. During that time our dental technicians begin work on the dentures. The manufacture according to a planned schedule and it takes them 2 or 3 weeks before they are able to move on to the next step in the process.
(There are complete courses that only take 3 days in some cases of full dentures.)
Normally, if using the telescope method, even a stay in Japan of 1 month may not be enough time to finish the dentures. We have a number of patients who live overseas and come to the clinic when they are in Japan. We ask that they can make at least 4 visits to our clinic. Please consider this point when deciding what to do.
2014年9月 9日
Is there any way to remove the denture foundation on my upper jaw?
Q. I am missing all of my upper teeth so I had full dentures made. I tried them out for a while but they always made me gag when I had them in so I stopped using them. Is there any way that I can have upper dentures made without the huge foundation piece on my upper jaw?
A. So you have full dentures for your upper jaw, right? It must be really difficult to get used to shape of them that completely covers everything.
Is it easy to take out the dentures that you have now?
Dentures that move around feel very awkward. If you could attach them and make the topper portion thinner, it would definitely alleviate the awkward feeling.
It is important for full dentures to completely cover the palate. This is equal to the lifeline of the dentures. By attaching this piece, biting force can be distributed evenly throughout the dentures. Also, through marginal sealing, full dentures can take advantage of the water-film phenomenon (this is the phenomenon where two panes of glass can be made to stick firmly together by introducing a layer of water between them). In order to create the water-film phenomenon with the oral membrane, saliva, and dentures, it is necessary to completely cover the palate.
Out of all of the patients whom we have treated, two of them have experienced a gag reflex so bad that they had to run to the bathroom. But now, even those two patients have gotten used to their dentures completely.
Our clinic does not make the type of dentures that leaves the palate open. In the long term, we believe that getting used to the experience from the beginning is much better than having to apply adhesive every day to dentures that can't even provide a secure bite. Once you get used to our dentures you will be able to use them comfortably as if they were a part of your own body.
Please consider this advice before deciding what you will do.
