Developmental Issues
Many patients learn what a bad or dysfunctional bite is during our formative years when many common orthodontic issues arise. Many tooth eruption and alignment issues at an early age can disturb how we bite and chew properly.
Prosthodontic issues can also arise for some patients during these early years that include common and uncommon deficits in jaw structures, congenitally missing teeth or the absence of secondary teeth, to name a few.
Adult Reconstructive Dentistry
The largest patient population treated by prosthodontists and general dentists providing prosthodontic treatments are older adults who have acquired treatment needs involving tooth structures or maxillofacial tissues (bone – soft oral tissue). As with orthodontics, untreated prosthodontic needs at an early age tend to create bite and occlusion issues that can become destructive in later years.
The great looking smile and bite pictured here required a variety of treatments that go far beyond what general dentistry provides.
The basic elements of reconstructive dentistry defined as: treatment planning for missing teeth, deficient tooth structures, jawbone rehabilitation, maintenance of optimal oral health and specific procedures for treating specific of maxillofacial tissue needs (missing bone and gingiva) were ALL provided to this one patient.
To get an idea of what advanced reconstructive dentistry can do for nearly any patient need… the adjacent photo here is the same patient pictured above.
At the time the patient presented to us… he had an idea of what he wanted things to look like, but didn’t want “cosmetics alone.” Rather, he wanted his bite and overall dental function to be as rock solid as it was with the teeth and bone Mother Nature had provided to him during his younger years.
Prosthodontic Analysis
This particular case demonstrates how this degree of complex treatment need exceeds what average or restorative dentistry provides.
Bone Height and Width
Analysis begins at the very foundation of bite dynamics …. the upper and lower jaw structures are assessed for the quite obvious loss of bone and gum tissues and, more particularly, the differences in loss at different locations along the jaw lines or “bony ridge” which teeth are normally positioned in.
For this patient Both upper and lower ridges of bone required specialized bone and tissue grafting that recreated what can be termed as normal bone characteristics to support a full set (roundhouse) of dental implants that not only firmly anchored the prosthetic teeth but now serves to fully stimulate the new bone for long term health, just as natural teeth do.
Teeth Replacement Options
Every patient is different and has unique interests for replacing teeth with choices of individual crowns, bridgework, fixed bridges, removable prosthetics and partials. The choice of options is further influenced by the degree of change wanted for the most durable or aesthetic outcome.
Patients seeking treatment from a prosthodontic dental practice soon discover that several choices can be made available for replacing teeth instead of just one or two.
In our practice the best that today’s dentistry offers, including dental implants, mini implants, titanium fixed bridges, porcelain and gold crowns, zirconium bridgework, overdentures, implant supported dentures, turbyfill denture products and partials in nearly any combination imaginable for creating a treatment outcome to fit nearly any budget.
Call 414-464-9021 for information on any of our services.
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