Gum Disease & Tooth Loss
This patient from Downey, CA had a gum disease that destroyed the bone around her teeth
Gum Disease & Tooth Loss
This patient had a silent and painless form of gum disease that slowly destroyed the bone from around her teeth. Her teeth began to shift and move over time until it became so bad that she looked for advanced care. Gum Disease is an infection also called periodontal disease (periodontal is Latin for "around the tooth disease"). This patient also had to have her bite improved.
Tooth Loss
Gum disease causes bone loss, which eventually leads to loss of teeth. More teeth are lost to gum disease or gum infections than to tooth decay. This patient had so much bone loss that she had to have her jaw bone grafted in order to place a dental implant or a fixed porcelain bridge. Missing teeth can be replaced with dental implants inserted in her jawbone or a dental bridge that spans over the space left by the missing tooth. Both a dental implant and a fixed bridge are non-removable.
Unaltered and Untouched Photos by Dr. Sam Muslin, Santa Monica, CA.
This is a work-in-progress. Treatment is incomplete - only the front 12 teeth have been treated.
Fixed Dental Bridge
This patient chose a fixed dental bridge to replace her missing teeth after the bone graft helped fill in her jawbone. When a tooth is extracted, the jawbone can collapse leaving a depression in the jaw. When a bone graft is done there will not be a depression. The jawbone will be full and even. A fixed dental bridge or a dental implant can replace missing teeth comfortably. This patient chose a dental porcelain bridge for the missing teeth on the upper and for the missing teeth on the lower jaw because it was the least expensive and a better choice for her particular situation.
Gum Disease Treatment
Treatment of her gum disease was accomplished by educating the patient. All her life she was never given effective and motivational dental hygiene instructions. Once she understood what she had to do at home, her gum infection was beginning to heal. The patient actually is the key to healing gum disease. Susie was absolutely consistent and effective. Dr. Muslin treated her with non-surgical gum treatment. Dental lasers are not the best choice of treatment. She was given a thorough cleaning and a antiseptic treatment called PerioChips that kill germs in the deepest infected pockets in her mouth. Combined with the great home care by Susie and the effective cleaning by Sam Muslin DDS MAGD, her gum infection was dramatically reduced in just a month.
Unaltered and Untouched Photos by Dr. Sam Muslin, Santa Monica, CA.
Bone Grafts
Bone Grafts were placed immediately after the teeth were extracted and temporary fixed dental bridges were placed. The patient walked out of the office with straighter and whiter teeth immediately after have teeth extracted. The temporary fixed dental bridges stayed in her mouth and were not removable. Once she healed, the porcelain fused to metal bridges were bonded into place and she had a beautiful smile and better dental health.
Only the six upper teeth and the six lower teeth were treated. She has more work to be done but there is a huge improvement with very limited dental treatment. This patient has straight white teeth that are not removable and nearly a complete resolution to her gum infection in a very short period of time.
For those patient that was the best possible care and a variety of choices to their gum infection treatment, please make an appointment at Sam Muslin DDS MAGD for a evaluation.