Bone Grafts And Gum Disease
Rod from Marina Del Rey reached a point of dental despair after many years of poor dentistry
Deficient Dental Health
After years of poor dental hygiene and patchwork dental quick fixes for his chronic problems, Rod's teeth were in pretty poor condition. This is not an unusual scenario, as many patients let their smiles go until they become unattractive and unhealthy. This usually occurs because the patient's teeth deteriorate only gradually and the patient grows accustomed to a bad dental condition slowly over time. As the teeth shift into worse and worse positions, the patient's bite becomes more and more maladjusted. Years or even decades can go by before they seek the cosmetic dentistry they need, but by then ordinary cosmetic dentistry isn't enough because their oral health has become compromised.
Unaltered and Untouched Photos by Dr. Sam Muslin, Santa Monica, CA
Gum Disease And High Tech Dentistry
In Rod's case, the first course of action was to remove the teeth that couldn't be saved, and then to graft Bio Oss, a bone substitute that is osteoconductive, onto his jawbone. This graft saved the size of his jawbone after the extractions; if Rod hadn't had the bone grafting, his jawbone would shrink down considerably after the removed sockets collapsed. At the same time as the extractions, temporary fixed dental bridges were placed, so that Rod was never without teeth. Rod noticed that even his temporary dental bridges looked better than his original teeth! (Read about Susie's Gum Disease treatment for more information.)
Reconstruction Of The Bite
After Rod's mouth had healed up following the extractions, he and Dr. Muslin decided to commit to the complete bite reconstruction, combined with a Dental Face Lift ®. The full mouth and bite reconstruction restored his facial balance and improved his TMJ comfort level. Rod's speech is now much clearer, as he can articulate words more distinctly thanks to his teeth and jaw being properly aligned. Rod didn't need to have dental implants because Dr. Muslin replaced all of the missing teeth with fixed porcelain dental bridges. These porcelain bridges look fantastic, and Rod is secure in knowing that many of Dr. Muslin's patients have had porcelain dental bridges that went more than 25 years without any problems.
Dental Implants vs Dental Bridges
The fixed porcelain dental bridges that Rod got replace the missing teeth, just as dental implant would do. A dental bridge gives a more natural appearance particularly at the gum line, where gums often shrink away from dental implants, leaving a gap or hole between the teeth. The dental bridges were the right solution for Rod's unique oral health situation, because they take less time than implants, and the final results look much better.
Patients who desire a high-quality bite reconstruction procedure should contact Sam Muslin, DDS, MAGD, at (310) 829-6796.