Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw (mandible), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent.
An Interview with Dr. Henry Guy on Dental Implants
Dr. Henry Guy is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Dental Implants.
Q. What are dental implants?
A. A dental implants is a way to replace missing teeth. When a tooth is lost, the bone that supported the root of that tooth remains, at least for some length of time. A dental implant utilizes this bone to gain support for a replacement for that tooth. Today almost all the implants placed are "root form" implants; i.e., they are shaped much like the root of the tooth that used to occupy the space.
Q. What are the benefits of dental implants?
A. If you lost a tooth before implants became available, you had two basic choices for replacing the tooth. One would be a fixed bridge. A bridge required shaving down the tooth in front, and the tooth behind the missing tooth for a crown. That means that we would take about 1.5 mm of tooth structure away on all the exposed surfaces of the tooth. This gives the dentist enough room to make something that would fit over the tooth and be strong enough to resist the forces of chewing. A bridge means placing a crown on the tooth in front of the missing tooth, and a crown on the tooth behind the missing tooth, and joining these crowns together with the replacement tooth. The bridge is bonded to the two teeth, fixed in place.
The benefits of an implant in this situation is that the adjacent teeth would not need to be reshaped for crowns. No natural tooth structure would have to be lost just to support the bridge. If the two teeth needed to have crowns anyway, it might be better to make the bridge over the implant option. But if the two teeth are sound, preserving the natural tooth structure is much preferred.
The other choice for replacing teeth before implants became available would be a removable denture (partial denture). This is an appliance that you would take in and out of your mouth yourself. Most people do not find these dentures to be very serviceable. They collect food, show metal clasps around the teeth adjacent to the missing teeth, and can come loose at very inopportune times. The advantage of implants is that they are fixed in place and look like teeth.
Q. How long does an implant last?
A. Implants have been around for thousands of years. The only problem was that they did not work; the body rejected them. In 1952 a Swedish bone researcher found that he could not recover the titanium research microscopes he had imbedded in living bone. The bone had fused to them. He dropped that research and started the first implant company using titanium implants in a root form. Most of the original implants he placed in 1965 are reported to still be functioning (on the people who are still alive). In all the years I have placed implants, and that means placing hundreds, I have only lost three that I know of. It seems to be one of the most predictable procedures in dentistry.
Q. What are implants made of?
A. Almost all are made of titanium, and that is the only kind I use. There is a new kind of implant made from zirconium. Its use is not well established, although it looks somewhat promising. I am waiting for some long term studies to be completed before I would recommend them.
Q. Who is a candidate for implants?
A. Anyone with the need who is generally healthy and has sufficient bone at the site of the missing tooth. I have been describing the use of implants for one missing tooth. Some people have more than one tooth missing and can have all teeth missing. Implants can be used to support and retain full dentures removable by the patient. Implants can also support and retain a fixed denture that is removable only by the dentist. They can also be placed under removable partial dentures. One of the latest uses for implants is as an anchor to move teeth in orthodontics.
Q. How are dental implants placed? How long does it take?
A. In a variety of ways. The most usual way is making an incision in the gum where the tooth is missing. The gum is reflected to expose the bone. A hole the shape of the implant is made in the bone, and the implant is inserted. The gum is closed and sutured. Between three and six months later a titanium or zirconium piece is placed into the implant and out through the gum. The dentist takes an impression and sends it to the lab to make a crown. In two to four weeks the crown is ready and the crown is placed.
Sometimes, and especially on front teeth, the tooth can be removed and the implant placed on the same day. The connector is placed and a temporary crown is made on the spot.
Q. How to contact Dr. Guy if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
2701 Osler
Suite 10
Grand Prairie,TX 75051
Phone: 972-647-4300 (office)
214-395-6090 (cell)
Email: henryguy@mac.com
Website: henryguydds.com
