Replacing missing back teeth is essential. The molar teeth are designed for mastication i.e chewing . Without molars, it is far harder to break down foods for ease of swallowing. This essentially means that the diet will be one of soft foods only and eating will take much longer. This would not be a great look at a New Years eve dinner party! 

Our front teeth are created for incising food i.e cutting. If the teeth in front of the molars are overloaded with excessive force then further problems will result such as cracks, fractures and even teeth splitting in half meaning the loss of more teeth. 

The good news is that molar teeth can be replaced using dental implants to restore chewing function, spread the forces and enjoy those harder goods once again. 

Our case of the month for December is a classic one where the back teeth were lost due to bruxism which severely impaired function.
 

Teeth can be lost for various reasons such as tooth decay, trauma, failed root canal treatments or periodontal (gum) disease. The loss of teeth can have a significant impact on not only everyday function but aesthetics and general confidence when out and about. Replacing missing teeth is vital as this will restore function ( eating is important!) , improve aesthetics and prevent the adjacent and opposing teeth from moving into undesirable positions. The latter is a particular problem if the teeth are not replaced for a few years as this will make any dental implant treatment far more complicated.
 

Peri implantitis is becoming a major issue for dental implants and it is important to be aware of this when embarking on implant treatment to replace missing teeth. The term relates to a number of factors around implants but the main issues are:

1. Inflammation of the surrounding mucosa ( gum )

2. Increased pocket depths around the dental implant

3. Bleeding on probing

4. Suppuration ( pus oozing from the tissues)

5. Loss of bone around the implant either in a horizontal , vertical or both directions. 

This differs from peri implant mucositis where there is bleeding on probing, possible swelling and inflammation and increase in pocket depths BUT there is NO loss of bone around the implants. Peri implant mucositis is reversible but peri implantitis is irreversible. Diagnosis is essential and the earlier the treatment, the better the diagnosis. Often, the disease may go un noticed, very much like gum disease, but once symptoms develop it is often too late to prevent bone loss. It is essential that regular dental and hygiene visits are maintained after dental implant treatments so that any problems can be spotted at an early stage. In general, we would advise twice yearly appointments or quarterly hygiene appointments if there has been past gum disease present.
 

Our case of the month for February 2022 is one involving 2 dental implants to replace 3 missing back teeth. Dental implants are considered the gold standard to replace missing teeth but what are dental implants? Well, essentially implants are the replacements for the roots of the missing teeth. They provide the foundation to allow us to place new teeth on top. Simple? Not really! Dental implant treatment is complicated and requires a huge amount of training, experience and ongoing education. Of course, some cases are more complex than others but in general, here is our workflow from missing tooth to replacement:

1. Full case assessment and records including x rays and CBCT scans.

2. Diagnostic planning on digital software.

3. Manufacture of surgical stent.

4. Surgery - placing the dental implant(s) using the surgical stent.

5. Allow healing of 12 weeks.

6. Take new records.

7. Place implant tooth/ teeth ( try in stage needed for several teeth).

Our case had lost several teeth over many years which meant she was unable to eat on the right side of her mouth. By using 2 dental implants, we were able to provide 3 teeth by 'bridging' the gap. A lovely end result and the ability to chew again! Life changing? Maybe not but certainly life enhancing.