2014年9月10日 « トップへ » 2014年9月18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 « トップへ » 2014年9月18日
