Considerations before deciding Dental bridge or Dental implants

Teeth replacements have come a long way in the last 30 years. Missing or extracted teeth raise common concerns of infection, injury, periodontal disease, or other reasons but the proper replacement is the key to a confident smile. When you’re missing a tooth, you have two options for replacement – install a dental implant or a dental bridge. Unfortunately, many patients don’t have the information they need to make the best choice for their oral health and smile.

In the past, a bridge was your only choice, and still involves more than just the missing tooth. A bridge is a non-removable prothesis that is used to replace a missing tooth. A bridge literally bridges the gap between the two natural teeth replacing the tooth that’s missing between them. The adjacent teeth need to be "prepared" in order to fabricate the bridge.

Advantages of Bridges

Esthetic, functional, predictable, reliable

Less costly

Requires less time for final result

Disadvantages of Bridges

Requires enamel removal of adjacent teeth

If adjacent teeth have crowns, they must be redone

Tooth decay is potential problem

Root canal treatment may be required if nerves are affected

Greater tendency for gum disease

Less longevity than implants

Today, dentists offer an alternative that involves less collateral damage- TOOTH IMPLANT. A dental implant is actually a root replacement, and unlike the root of a tooth, it is actually fused to the bone of the jaw. A crown is attached to the implant and in effect it becomes a stand-alone tooth, functioning and appearing just like the natural tooth you have lost. The crown is the part you see in the mouth, and the root is the part that is encased in bone and keeps the tooth in place.

Advantages of Dental Implants

Esthetic, functional, predictable, reliable

Does not affect adjacent teeth

Does not decay

Less likely to develop gum disease

Placing the implant in the bone prevents future bone loss because the bone and the titanium rod actually begin to bond together. The bone does not know the difference between the root of the natural tooth and the titanium rod.

Disadvantages of Dental Implants

More expensive

More planning time

Requires minor surgery

Requires healing time before permanent tooth replacement

Health of surrounding tissue plays important than age.

For a successful dental implant procedure, a patient's health is more important than age. Because this procedure requires healing to work effectively, candidates who aren’t ideal include smokers, patients with weakened immune systems or patients with diabetes.

You probably shouldn’t get an implant if you grind your teeth while sleeping. Also, oral surgeons generally rule out children because their jawbones have not yet matured.

Changes in your oral care routine

Your ability to keep your mouth healthy will be easier with an implant. Dental bridges are cemented or "fixed" in the mouth, and involve at least three crowns connected together to fill the space of the missing tooth. This design creates challenges when brushing and flossing, so extra oral hygiene instruction and meticulous home care are crucial. In contrast, implants can replace teeth individually without affecting other teeth, making regular home care more successful. You can effectively brush and floss around an implant just like your natural tooth.

DURABILITY

Dental implants are more durable than bridges, allowing them to provide protection that lasts a lifetime. Dental implant treatment has a track record of reliable, long-term successful outcomes and is often considered “more predictable” than other treatments.

Changing Scenarios and Perceptions for Career in Dentistry in India

Indian health care industry experiencing dynamic transformation owing to increased demand for quality health care, this also has been accelerated with increase in the standard of living, consequently, significance and prioritization to achieve esthetic and healthy smile boosted dental market. This boost gave rise to the demand for increase in the number of dental professionals, which led to the mushrooming of dental colleges in last decade.

Prior to 1966, all dental colleges in India were government aided, in that particular year; first private dental college was established. By 2010, there were 39 government dental colleges and 252 private dental colleges. Presently (2016) approximately 300 dental establishments with around 30,000 dental graduates hitting market, searching for their piece of pie. Ideally, we feel, the thought process behind explosively permitting newer dental institutes were to create a environment of competition for these institutes which in turn will compel them to raise the standard of education and give a greater access to underprivileged society.

But, the table turned the other way, as instead of competing with each other there became atmosphere of cooperation and unity. We are not the one to question/comment about drastic increase in the number of graduates, but certainly these huge pass outs are facing a problem of employment, so to make a bare sustainable employment prospects due to competition in practice and unavailability of job prospects which provoked them to attract patients by under charging resulted in the issue related with obsolete technique and quality.

 These factors entirely reversed the motive of increasing dental institutes. But things do not end up here; now lack of satisfactory opportunities gave a negative impact to the young aspirants, which distanced them from this Nobel profession. Presently suffering has also started for the dental institutes, where there is depression and lack of motivation in existing professionals which started playing a detrimental role in context to their zest to learn, which reflected in their quality. Another aspect of change is the drastic reduction in the new aspirants, causing shrinkage in institutes’ profit margins, which is being propagated as losses, compromised the quality and the health of institutes. Due to shrinkage in their profit margins, accordingly, a well managed justification for curtailment in the budgetary allowance for the upgradation of profession and institute, limits the glory for the profession.

Tooth jewels ……..a Smile Designer

Body art has become a part of fashion industry, where tattooing, oral jewelry and body piercing.

 

Piercing as accepted fact that it carries risk of infection, especially when this is done in oral cavity, hence it’s strongly discouraged.

A new craze "Tooth Jewelry" has swept in the world that will make you shine and add sparkle to your smile…….. to really be glamorous, unique, fashionable, tantalize your teeth without any risk of pain, infection, drill or injury to tooth, and moreover we can get it replaced whenever we wish to.

Tooth jewelry originated in America and was popularized by Pink. It can be seen as another form of self expression which can add another dimension to your smile. Tooth jewels really sparkle and draw attention when you smile.

Simple facts about jewellery

•                 They are small in diameter (1.5-1.8 mm) so in interference
•                 Non-invasive and painless
•                 No drilling or tooth damaging
•                 Requires short chair time approx 10 min
•                 Requires no special care
•                 Stain resistant
•                 Do not interfere with regular brushing
•                 Can be removed/ replaced without any effect on tooth enamel

Tooth jewellery are glass crystals, real 18k white gold and 24k yellow gold jewels designed specifically for dental use. These are available in various shapes and color:

                Round crystals

                Shaped crystals

                White and yellow gold tooth jewels

    Gold facing

                Gold letter and numbers

They have no sharp edges and basically come out the natural way without if accidentally swallowed. Risk factors are almost negligible but it is not a regular treatment rather it’s a cosmetic treatment.

**Care should be taken to get it done by a qualified dental practitioner.