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Unfortunately, I was not informed about the overdentures. Three years ago, I was advised to have all my teeth removed because of bone loss. I now have full dentures, and won't even smile at my friends or family. I am ashamed and look 10 years older than 55. The dentures don't even resemble my natural teeth and are basically the look of old fashioned "false teeth". Is there anything I can do to improve my appearance and the continued loss of bone?
Rita J. Carnes
Thanks for the enquiry. Yes, we can help you out with your appearance and we can help slow down or eliminate your bone loss. In many patients such as yourself we have been able to take them from removable dentures to implant retained dentures that look natural or to fixed porcelain bridgework that is supported by dental implants. The first thing that needs to be done is a comprehensive dental exam and a review of your medical history. In order to surgically place dental implants we have to make sure that you have no health issues that might impact the success of the dental implants. Once we have determined that you are a “good candidate” we then determine if you have enough bone for implants and the number of implants. A lot of our patients that we have successfully treated in the past have had an option of having implant retained dentures or fixed porcelain bridgework supported by dental implants. If you are a candidate for both types of restorations, then you will be able to choose the option that best suits your needs.
We would be more than happy to help you out. What is your phone number and we will have our patient coordinator call you to set up an appointment?
Thanks,
Dale J. Brant, DDS
Charles Campbell, DDS
713.795.5905
888.790.0309Labels: Houston Cosmetic Dentists, houston dental implants, overdentures
For the first three days after Laser Therapy, Houston cosmetic dentists advise you to follow only a liquid- like diet to speed up healing. Anything that you can put in a blender and liquefy will work. In fact, liquefying some of your favorite foods is the ideal way to create a healthy and palatable post-LANAP diets.
The reason why Houston cosmetic dentists advise their patients to do this is to protect the clot that is acting as a “band-aid” between the gum and the teeth. We do not want you to drink through a straw, however. The suction of drinking through a straw will create a vacuum in your mouth that will disturb the “band-aid”. Just drink from a class, and be sure to also take daily vitamins.
For the following four days after LANAP treatment, you can begin to eat foods with a “mushy” consistency such as those listed below
Anything you can liquefy in a food blender
You can eat cream of wheat, oatmeal, malt o meal
You can have mashed potatoes or baked potatoes – ok with butter/sour cream
Mashed banana mashed avocado, applesauce or any mashed/blended fruit except berries with seeds are also healthy and safe food choices.
Broth or creamed soup is a good, nutritious, and liquid food choice.
Mashed, steamed vegetables are good for blood, tissue healing, and easy on the teeth.
Mashed yams, baked sweet potato or butternut squash are good sources of carbohydrates.
Cottage cheese cream or soft cheese are ideal snacks.
Creamy peanut butter without solid pieces is another ideal snack.
Eggs any style, with or without melted cheese are good protein sources.
Omelets can have cheese and avocado.
Jell-o, pudding, ice cream, yogurt are great desserts.
Milk shake/smoothies – ok to blend with fruit except no berries w/ seeds, along with Ensure, slim fast -nutritional drinks are great meal substitutes and taste great as well.
NEVER: Chew gum, candy, cookies, chips, nuts, anything hard or crunchy, anything that has seeds or hard pieces, meat that shreds and can lodge under the gum and between teeth, raw vegetables/salad.
After seven to ten days following LANAP, it is ok to start eating soft foods. These are foods that have the consistency of pasta, fish, chicken or steamed vegetables. You may then, under the supervision of your Houston cosmetic dentist, gradually ease back your regular diet choices.
Please remain aware of the fact that even 10 day after your LANAP procedure, your gums are not completely healed. You need to continue making smart food choices, and when in doubt, always err on the side of soft foods.Labels: diet, Houston Cosmetic Dentists, LANAP
Houston cosmetic dentists perform a number of periodontal procedures that offer restorative and cosmetic benefit to the appearance of your gum line.
Some of you may have already conferred with a Houston dentist in the past about a condition that some call a gummy smile. This means your teeth appear too short when you smile. The problem does not lie with your teeth, either, but rather in the fact that there is simply too much gum tissue covering their surfaces.
Maybe your tooth has decayed and broken below the gum line, or maybe it has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the amount of gum tissue to expose more of the tooth so it can be seen.
In order to do this, a Houston cosmetic dentist will perform a procedure known as a crown lengthening. The following questions and answers are provided for those of you who have inquired about the nature and details of this treatment option.
Does crown lengthening hurt?
This is a surgical procedure, but it is not a complicated one that involves any real sense of discomfort. There will be some discomfort after the surgery, but nothing that something like Advil cannot fix. Most patients report a general sense of soreness in the mouth rather than any real sense of pain, per se.
So this does involve cutting into the gum?
In the first type of crown lengthening treatment (there are actually two procedures that Houston cosmetic dentists perform that are known by this name), gum tissue is cut away under minor anesthetic.
The first type of crown lengthening is very simple. We simply trim away excess gum tissue from the front of the teeth. In fact, as this is often done on adolescents, we often give them a mirror and let them watch. That way, they can see their smile literally improve right before their eyes.
In the second type of crown lengthening, we have do use techniques more common to general dentistry, although there is ultimately a cosmetic outcome in mind here. This type of procedure is intended to repair teeth that have been broken down by decay that goes far beneath gum tissue. We have to remove some of the gum tissue using soft tissue lasers in order to expose more of the tooth surfaces. We may also have to reshape teeth and bones using dental burs and surgical instruments, although it is seldom necessary to involve bone tissue in this procedure.
When do you recommend crown lengthening?
It is always our goal as Houston Cosmetic Dentists to look for ways to improve the smile of a person. Obviously, if the gums are hiding the teeth for any reason, we cannot ignore the problem this creates. Since this procedure is easy and comfortable, and since it generally offers instant payback in terms of cosmetics, we recommend it for anyone in good, general health.
Is there anyone for who this cannot be done?
There may be some patients with severe medical problems that cannot have this procedure performed. However, these cases are rare. The best thing to do if you have a gummy smile is come in to our office and let our Houston Cosmetic Dentists give you a dental checkup and review your medical records.Labels: crown lengthening, Houston Cosmetic Dentists
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