Interesting History Behind Dental Implants

Posted on May 08, 2018 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

Would you be surprised to learn that Dental Implants date back to ancient Egypt? Then, get ready for an interesting history lesson!

Archeological digs in Egypt unearthed jaw bones that had seashells or stones carved into tooth shapes positioned to replace lost teeth. The ancient Egyptians weren’t alone in this pursuit.

The Mayan civilization from 600 AD apparently used a similar process to replace missing teeth. A 1930’s excavation in Honduras uncovered a human jaw bone where shell pieces fashioned into tooth shapes were positioned into the sockets of missing teeth.

Attempts to replace teeth in ancient cultures has been discovered over the years across the globe, including North and South America, Middle Asia, and the Mediterranean. Discoveries in a number of ancient cultures have revealed early versions of dental implants, including attempts at implanting teeth made from gold and metal.

In the Middle Ages, early attempts in tooth replacement through implants were made using bone grafting techniques. Minimal success occurred due to infections, often resulting in death. Yet, the pursuit to replace teeth held in the jaw bone continued.

Successful developments were finally experienced by a World War II Army doctor, Dr. Norman Goldberg. After noting that certain metals used in other parts of the body were having consistently successful results, Dr. Goldberg started on a quest to apply this to dental implants.

After the war, Dr. Goldberg teamed with Dr. Aaron Gershkoff. Together, they created an implant type that integrated successfully with bone. Their work was the springboard to developing modern dental implant systems used today. (https://www.aaid.com/about/History.html)

Doctors Goldberg and Gershkoff shared their successes in the dental community through an article published in Dental Digest. This created enthusiasm with other doctors, who worked to fine-tune the implantation process. This also spurred efforts to develop implant designs to accommodate various needs.

When titanium was developed by NASA, Swedish surgeon Per-Ingvar Brånemark, M.D., Ph.D. found that the jaw bone would not only accept implants, it would grow around it to secure them in place. The process of ‘osseo-integration’ was an exciting new development that inspired continued research. (https://www.ada.org/sitecore/content/home-ada/publications/ada-news/2015-archive/january/dr-branemark-father-of-modern-dental-implant-dies-at-85)

Dr. Brånemark’s first titanium dental implant patient (in the mid-1960s) had four titanium implants placed, which lasted until his death four decades later. However, Dr. Brånemark spent years trying to convince the medical and dental communities that titanium would integrate with living bone. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Brånemark implants would be approved in Sweden.

At a professional meeting in Toronto in 1982, Dr. Brånemark presented his system for ‘osseointegrated’ implants. There, he finally received widespread recognition for his methods. Referred to as the father of modern dental implants, Dr. Brånemark’s dental implant system is still manufactured and on the market.

Perfection in the techniques and technology surrounding implant dentistry has continued. Patient now have a wide variety of implant systems available for individual needs. Advancements in dental materials also provide implants patients with replacement teeth that have the look and feel of natural teeth.

An estimated 450,000 dental implants are placed each year with a success rate of over 96% — higher than any other implant-in-bone procedure (including hips and knees). Patients who select dental implants for replacing teeth enjoy an exceptionally natural-looking smile as well as the function like that of ‘real’ teeth.

Dental Implants do more than merely replace missing teeth. They restore the ability to eat the foods you love without worry, laugh confidently and have a smile will last a lifetime. To discuss dental implants, call 828-274-9440 to schedule a consultation.

Don’t Forget Your Oral Health When You Leave On Vacation!

Posted on May 01, 2018 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

Packing for a vacation requires proper preparation. We select clothes appropriate for the weather, may pack sun screen and insect repellent, put a halt on mail delivery, and arrange for our pets to be cared for until our return. These steps help us enjoy a worry free getaway.

Once to our destination, we often indulge more in sweets, alcoholic beverages, rich foods, and colas. After all, we’re on vacation! Ahhh… it’s the time for indulging and savoring ‘rewards’ for getting time off and a respite from our disciplined lives.

While we would never want you to deny yourself of the joys of a well-deserved get-away, we would simply like to remind you to make arrangements to tend to your smile during your off time. By being aware of the hazards to your oral health that often come with vacations, you can take precautions before and during your fun time that won’t compromise your smile. These include:

• Watch what you eat: Vacations are a time when we typically ‘let go’ when it comes to eating. We dive into desserts when we typically would forgo them, we opt for the fried and breaded seafood platter (with plenty of cocktail sauce for dipping!), and we order pancakes for breakfast and saturate them in syrup and butter. Go for it, but keep in mind that every time you eat or drink something (other than water), your mouth experiences an acid attack. This acid flows in with saliva to aid in the digestive process. Beneficial, yes, but it is a strong acid that can literally soften tooth enamel for 20-30 minutes after the last bite or sip. Try to limit snacking during the day and treat yourself to dessert right after mealtime so you don’t trigger a new acid attack (you’ll just prolong one already underway).

• Watch what you drink: As mentioned above, an acid attack occurs in the mouth each time you eat or drink. When you sip a cola or iced tea by the pool over a lengthy period, you prolong the acid’s ability to cause damage. For drinks that are sweet or acidic, such as colas or lemonade, you merely ramp up the acid levels in the mouth. Before you reach for a beverage, consider going for bottled water. (It’s also more hydrating for you overall.)

• Keep your mouth moist: Oral dryness provides a welcoming environment for bacteria in the mouth to thrive and reproduce. By drinking plenty of plain water throughout the day, you’ll aid saliva flow in keeping the mouth flushed of bacterial accumulation. This will also help to combat the drying effects of caffeinated beverages. Also, consider chewing sugarless gum, which will also help to promote saliva flow.

• Stick to a healthy oral hygiene routine: When you arrive to your destination, place your toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss in plain view in the bathroom you’ll use. This way, you’ll be reminded of your healthy smile commitment each time you go in, hopefully prompting regular care.

While we all want to relish that precious time away from work and home, as a Periodontist, I know when a healthy routine is disrupted, it takes only days to create problems, such as early-stage gum disease and the formation of cavities. These can be expensive and time consuming to repair.

Don’t take a vacation from your smile!

Remember – by keeping oral bacteria levels down and limiting oral acids, you can enjoy a brighter smile with fresher breath! Let your vacation be a time when you know your smile’s well-being is a  priority.

If you feel you’ve been less-than-diligent when it comes to your at-home oral care and/or have neglected keeping regular dental check-ups, renew your commitment to a healthy smile. Begin by calling 828-274-9440 to arrange a consultation. During this time, we’ll discuss ways we can help you achieve and maintain a smile you’ll feel confident with, all year long!

 

How NOT To Be The One With Bad Breath!

Posted on Apr 25, 2018 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

If you’ve ever wondered “Is my breath bad?” when in close conversations, you know it’s an uneasy feeling. We ALL know this because, when the shoe is on the other foot, being with someone who’s breath odor causes an uncomfortable wall of P-U tends to create a poor and lasting impression!

We all suffer occasionally with not-so-pleasant breath, such as after morning coffee or an onion-topped hot dog lunch. While any bad breath is unwelcome, it is not unusual on occasion. We can often pop a couple of breath mints or piece of gum in our mouths and feel we are somewhat in better shape.

However, it’s when people have frequent bad breath that concerns me, as a dentist, the most.

The root source of bad breath is oral bacteria. Bacteria are living organisms that eat, reproduce and emit waste on a consistent basis. Drinking sugary colas and a diet of high carbohydrate foods rev up bacteria reproduction even more, boosting their ability to grow and thrive.

Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause for bad breath. Not brushing and flossing adequately allows oral bacteria to reproduce, which leads to plaque.

Plaque is the sticky film you feel on teeth when you’ve missed brushing. When not removed daily, plaque forms into a cement-hard substance known to as calculus. This mass is actually a colony of oral bacteria that attaches to teeth and can no longer be brushed or flossed away.

Calculus attacks enamel and gum tissues. As the bacteria grows, it causes the gum tissues to become inflamed. This inflammation can quickly develop into gingivitis, an early form of gum disease. If not resolved fully, however, gingivitis can lead to full-blown periodontal (gum) disease.

Many people are not aware that a common symptom of gum disease is persistent bad breath. This may be accompanied by tender gums that bleed easily when brushing. As it progresses, the gums may loosen from teeth (or ‘recede’) and turn red in color.

When we perform periodontal exams, we look for signs of inflammation and redness. If signs of gum disease are present, we will recommend appropriate treatment to restore your mouth to a healthy state.

While we only recommend the most conservative treatment needed for the level of gum disease that exists, we urge prompt treatment. Gum disease only worsens without treatment and, as with anything, the sooner the problem is resolved, the less involved the process will be. Early treatment can also mean less treatment time and expense.

If gum disease is not the cause of your breath odor, another culprit may be ‘dry mouth.’ Dry mouth causes your mouth to be stale and sticky, which creates bad breath. Dry mouth can be the result of many sources. For example, it is a common side effect of many medications.

Another example of dry mouth is when you first wake up because saliva flow is minimized during sleep. For people who breath through their mouths or snore, this dries oral tissues even more. Unfortunately, this means oral bacteria are not being flushed from of our mouths and able to accumulate.

Other drying causes come from what we may eat or drink. For example, alcoholic beverages, coffee and chocolate are drying to oral tissues. For those who smoke, oral dryness is a particular challenge. Cigarette smoke contains a large number of chemicals that are severely drying.

Want to keep your breath fresh? Preventing bad breath is actually easy. It simply requires a commitment to manage bacteria levels in the mouth.

Begin with a periodontal examination and cleaning to establish a foundation of good oral health. Once your oral health is in good shape, you can keep it there through a thorough daily oral hygiene regimen, which includes:

 – Brush at least twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Finish by brushing your tongue with your tooth brush to loosen embedded bacteria there. Be sure to get to the back portion of the tongue, where the majority of oral bacteria are embedded.

– Floss daily to dislodge particles caught between teeth that a toothbrush may not be able to dislodge. If you find this action difficult, consider purchasing an electronic flosser.

– Keep your mouth moist by drinking plenty of filtered water throughout the day. If you take medications that are dying, consider using an oral rinse to boost saliva flow and replenish oral moisture.

Having good oral health and ways is important to having fresh breath. Yet, it is also important to having good overall health. Call 828-274-9440 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Flossing – Why You Should

Posted on Apr 15, 2018 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

If you could do something that required two minutes or less a day, knowing it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year, you’d do it – right? Then, why is daily flossing such a dilemma for so many people?

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), only 20 percent of American adults floss on a daily basis. (https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2014-archive/october/survey-finds-shortcomings-in-oral-health-habits)

As a periodontal specialist with advanced training in the treatment of gum disease, I know the destructive nature of infectious oral bacteria. When an overload of bacteria accumulate in the mouth, cavities form and the gums become food for bacteria.

While many people assume that brushing twice a day is sufficient for maintaining good oral health, brushing often fails to remove food particles that are caught between teeth. These particles begin to rot rather quickly, leaving even more sustenance for bacterial growth and reproduction.

When oral bacteria amass past the point that is manageable by the immune system, the bacteria become infectious. This causes inflammation in the gum tissues, which can eventually lead to the formation of periodontal (gum) disease.

So, if the 1-2 minutes a day required for the act of flossing teeth would prevent cavities and gum disease, then why don’t more people do it? Well, first of all, flossing is not something anyone particularly enjoys. But, like some other basic hygiene tasks, it’s well worth the time and energy – perhaps more than you realize.

The inflammatory effects of the oral bacteria of gum disease don’t just remain in the mouth. Through tears in diseased gum tissues, they are able to enter the bloodstream. As the bacteria travel throughout the body, their toxic nature can trigger inflammatory effects elsewhere.

It is this action that has been the focus of a numerous amount of research over the years. Studies have found that oral bacteria of gum disease are linked to serious health problems. These include heart disease, stroke, preterm babies, arthritis, diabetes, some cancers, Alzheimers disease, erectile dysfunction (ED) and impotency. As research continues, more serious, and even deadly, connections are being made.

Oral bacteria accumulation creates a sticky film in the mouth that is known as plaque. When not removed thoroughly and frequently, plaque can form cement-hard bacteria colonies that attach to teeth. This hardened form of bacteria is known as tartar (or calculus) and, once formed, can no longer be brushed or flossed away.

They key is to keep oral bacteria levels to a minimum, which is why brushing and flossing are an important part of your daily care routine. Yet, as a dental specialist, I understand why it is difficult for some people to develop the habit of daily flossing.

For some, the tight floss around fingers is uncomfortable. For others who have large fingers or problems with manual dexterity, the act of flossing is rather challenging. Yet, for those who floss on a daily basis, it becomes a simple maneuver that is as simple as brushing teeth.

I’ve carefully followed studies that claim flossing provides little benefit. These studies have been under debate within the dental profession due to what some deem as flawed protocols. For example, study participants not being followed long enough to determine true effectiveness or the failure to monitor proper flossing techniques.

What is not, and has never been, debatable, however, is how the action helps to keep oral bacteria levels to a minimum.

As a periodontist, I have a unique view of what the mouth deals with on a day to day basis. If you flossed your teeth, for example, and put the floss under a microscope, you’d likely floss several times a day! Oral bacteria are menacing critters that are destructive in nature – not a pretty sight.

Relook at the advantages you can enjoy as a result of this minutes-per-day action and commit to performing it for a minimum of 2 weeks. You may want to begin by watching a brief video by Colgate on proper flossing techniques at: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/basics/brushing-and-flossing/how-to-floss

Our hygienists are also available to assist you personally. They will be happy to help you find a technique that is comfortable and effective. Call 828-274-9440 to begin by scheduling an examination appointment.