IOMSA

Our doctors at Indiana Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates (IOMSA) routinely replace missing teeth with dental implants here in our office.  Dental implants are artificial tooth “roots” made of titanium, used to anchor dental prostheses, including crowns, and implant supported bridges and dentures. One of the largest factors in successful dental implant placement is adequate, healthy bone density to anchor the post.

Unfortunately, not all patients have the proper bone in their jaw to support a dental implant. Some patients suffer from Osteonecrosis, a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones. When there is not enough blood flow, bone can start to die and break down. This makes dental implants for these patients particularly susceptible to becoming loose or failing. Osteonecrosis can be a side effect of chemotherapy.

Scientists from the UCLA School of Dentistry have discovered that nanodiamonds could be used for stronger dental treatments. Nanodiamonds are much smaller than those traditionally used in jewelry.

Currently, standard bone repair operations include inserting a sponge surgically to administer proteins that promote bone growth.  This new study, led by Dr. Dean Ho, may have uncovered is an easier way to deliver these proteins. Nanodiamonds, which are invisible to the human eye, bind rapidly to the materials needed for bone growth. This process can be done through injection or an oral rinse, rather than surgery.

“This discovery serves as a foundation for the future of nanotechnology in dentistry, orthopedics and other domains in medicine,” said No-Hee Park, dean of the School of Dentistry. “Dr. Ho and his team have demonstrated the enormous potential of the nanodiamonds toward improving patient care. He is a pioneer in his field.”

Results from the study will most likely pave the way for more study. Either way, stay tuned to find out how diamonds are playing a role in oral health care.

Read the full article from UCLA’s newsroom here: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/nanodiamond-encrusted-teeth-248066.aspx

How Implants Can Save a Smile

Regardless of what lead to the problem, hearing the news that you are about to lose a front tooth that is vital to your smile can be devastating. Fortunately, there is hope for restoring your smile and confidence through the art and science of implantology. Prior to starting the actual process, it is important that you voice your concerns, fears, and goals so that a treatment plan can be developed. With this information, findings and diagnosis, you have a solid foundation for achieving the most desirable results.

If A Back Tooth Is Lost, Will You Miss It?

A surprising number of Americans — some 70% of the U.S. population — is thought to be missing at least one tooth, usually one of the molars in back. But if you can’t see the missing tooth, does it truly matter? Perhaps unexpectedly, the answer is: Yes, it does!

The real problem with tooth loss isn’t esthetics (although that’s certainly an important consideration) — it’s the bone loss that comes with it. The alveolar bone, which surrounds the teeth, requires regular stimulation in order to stay healthy. Without such stimulation — which comes from tiny stresses transmitted by the teeth themselves — the bone gradually melts away. Tooth loss can cause a 25% decrease in bone width in the first year alone, and more in subsequent years.

What happens when bone is lost? If enough teeth are lost, the ability to speak and chew can be impaired. The contours of the face and lips change, making an individual look noticeably older and gloomier. Eventually, the bite may effectively collapse — along with the self-confidence!

Fortunately, there is way to keep tooth loss from becoming bone loss: it’s the dental implant. Because the implant actually becomes fused to the living bone, it helps keep bone healthy and functional — and it looks great too!

What Are Dental Implants?

Maybe you’ve heard people talk about dental implants. It’s been said that they’re modern dentistry’s best option for replacing missing teeth; That they offer the highest success rate of any tooth replacement procedure; That, with proper care, they can last just as long as your own natural teeth — a lifetime. But, you may still be wondering: What exactly are dental implants? We’re glad you asked!

Picture a tooth — the kind you might see on an old-fashioned dentist’s sign. It has two main parts: The crown (the pearly-white part that shows up when you smile), and the root, the part below the gum line that anchors the tooth in the jaw. A dental implant permanently replaces the root part of the tooth with a special metal insert that’s placed in the jawbone with minor surgery. A crown restoration — that is, a prosthetic tooth that’s created to look and function just like your natural teeth — is then placed atop the implant. Together, they make an implant a complete tooth replacement system.

What’s so great about this system? Essentially, it’s the fact that the titanium metal of which the implant is made has a very special property: It can integrate (fuse) with the living bone of your jaw, a process called osseo-integration. That’s what allows an implant that has been properly placed to remain looking good and functioning well for a long, long time. And isn’t that what everyone wants from their teeth?

Wisdom Teeth

One of the main goals of modern dentistry is to preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible — a lifetime, we hope. That’s why we’re always reminding you to brush, floss, and come in for regular examinations and cleanings. But sometimes, one or more of the teeth may need to be extracted (removed). This may become necessary for several reasons.

Trauma — a sharp blow to the mouth in sports, for example — might cause a tooth to chip or crack. We would like to save the tooth via a crown, a root canal, or both. But sometimes, depending on the damage sustained, it just isn’t possible. Disease or decay may also make it impractical to save a natural tooth. In these situations, it may be preferable to replace the tooth with a durable, natural-looking dental implant.

There are other good reasons for extracting a tooth. During orthodontic treatment, one or more teeth may need to be removed to alleviate the condition known as crowding: That’s when the dental arches (jaws) simply don’t have enough space to accommodate all the teeth. Also, impacted wisdom teeth, and baby teeth that don’t fall out on their own, sometimes interfere with other nearby teeth, nerves or important structures in the mouth; they may need to be extracted too.

New Technology for Rebuilding Bone

The news may be shocking for some but bone regeneration for implant dentistry is a routine procedure in periodontal and oral surgery. With new technology, grafting materials are able to regenerate lost bone with predictable results. This ability is critical for patients who need to replace missing teeth but lack enough bone for anchoring implants.