CosmetiC implant dentistry

WHat you sHoulD knoW

By DR Saj jIvRaj

many factors contribute to the loss of your teeth - some people are born without certain teeth, and some lose their teeth because of disease, injury, and wear as a result of clenching or grinding. Tooth loss creates both esthetic and functional problems, resulting in unwanted changes to your facial appearance, as well as a detrimental effect on your chewing ability, confidence and self-esteem. A prosthodontist is the dental specialist uniquely qualified to restore the appearance of your smile and help you regain optimum function of your teeth.

Today, when the desire for a more natural looking smile is greater than ever, there are several exciting new options you can choose. It is now possible to restore broken, decayed, worn and discolored teeth to their natural beauty and strength. You can enhance the beauty of your smile by replacing stained, chipped, missing or worn teeth by a variety of methods including whitening, veneers, crowns/caps or even implant-supported teeth.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in dentistry the patient is the most important beholder when defining beauty and esthetics. Often the patient is confronted with the situation of a lost front tooth. This can be a huge cosmetic and psychological dilemma and seeking out the most appropriate team of clinicians to re-create an ideal situation becomes very important.

Esthetic restoration of front teeth with dental implants is one of the most difficult procedures to undertake. Bone shrinkage following removal of front teeth often compromises gum and bone levels.

The routine use of dental implants has revolutionized prosthodontics and the way missing teeth are replaced. Dental implants have become the standard of care for the replacement of teeth because dental implants allow a missing tooth (or teeth) to be restored to optimum function and appearance without invading or damaging any other teeth or tissues.

Liquid Face LiFt No Surgery Required

Going under the knife for a face-lift is no longer the only option for youthful facial rejuvenation. Invasive, painful plastic surgery requires a maximum amount of recovery time or what we call in the aesthetic industry “downtime”.

The latest developments regarding nonsurgical sculpting and rejuvenation involve new cutting-edge applications of Botox and dermal fillers that produce the biggest bang for your buck with a bare minimum of downtime, You can turn back the clock five, ten, or even fifteen years within a week to ten days and see dramatic results.

There are several different dermal fillers that treat different areas of the face. Radiesse(™) produces amazing results for the deeper injections for the cheeks and the smile lines around the mouth. Juvederm(™) produces gorgeous results for lip plumping. Restylane(™) is fantastic for under the eyes. With a combination of dermal fillers we can restore the skin to its youthful fullness.

In the past a patient missing a single tooth would often receive a fixed bridge where the teeth on either side of the space are prepared for crowns and a false tooth suspended between them. With today’s technology the patient is ideally treated by a crown supported by a dental implant, avoiding any compromise to the other teeth. Dental implants are the ultimate solution for young people with congenitally missing teeth such as lateral incisors.

Single tooth implants have a high degree of predictability. Replacement of multiple missing teeth in the front of the mouth is particularly challenging particularly when the patient has undergone trauma and has lost teeth, gum and bone.

Mimicking nature with dental implants requires a higher level of thinking and it is encouraged that the patient seeks out an appropriate team of implant specialists to obtain predictable results. That team should include a surgeon, a prosthodontist and a highly skilled dental technician.

With new ways to inject fillers and Botox(™), the procedures have become increasingly painfree with minimal to no bruising. Now, most fillers are combined with lidocaine, an anesthetic, to eliminate pain and new techniques such as ouchless needles and micro-cannulas help to minimize the initial injection and further minimize bruising. Dr. Griffin, Medical Director of The G Spa notes, “The recent development of nearly painless techniques allow me to minimize wrinkles with Botox(™) and sculpt a face artistically with volume-enhancing filler without much

A surgeon undergoes 3-5 years of additional training after dental school and is responsible for surgical placement of the implants. Surgeons do this everyday have placed thousands of implants and most likely have come across every complication that could occur. A Prosthodontist is a specialist in Cosmetic, implant and reconstructive dentistry. They undergo an additional 3 years of training after dental school. Only 2% of dentists in the world are prosthodontists and most of the general public do not know that this type of dentists exists. The prosthodontist is responsible for the end result, making sure the implant crown is as close to nature as possible and provides a long lasting cosmetic result.

Front teeth are what we smile with everyday, everyone sees them. Replacing them with dental implants is a decision that should not be taken lightly, be sure to do adequate research to ensure you have the most highly qualified team possible.

Dr Saj Jivraj is a Prosthodontist who practices in Ventura County. He can be reached at 805-988-8985 www. anacapadental.com. Dr Zarrinkelk is an Oral Surgeon who practices in Ventura county he can be reached at www.venturaoralsurgery.com, 805648-5121 downtime. I love the new micro-cannulas.”

Medical Aesthetics has come a long way and we now have faster, safer and easier routes to take while minimizing the pain. Perhaps the saying, “Beauty is pain” is becoming antiquated. I sure hope so! —Cynthia

Grancourt

Cynthia Grancourt is a freelance health writer and manager for The G Spa in Santa Barbara www.thegspasb.com 805-682-4772.