Dental work -implants

[herondancer]

Hi all,

I would appreciate some advice.

One of my molars (#14) is resorbing (kind of like osteoporosis of the tooth) and it has to come out before it crumbles away. I've been presented with these alternatives:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Pull the tooth and leave it alone. The issues here are bone loss because the chewing pressure that keeps the upper jaw reforming in that area will be gone, and the other teeth moving around which will change bite pattern

[*]Removable partial. Issues here are hygiene, the fact that it will gradually wear done the supporting teeth, and bone loss as above

[*]Permanent bridge - All the same problems as in 2, with the addition that the adjoining teeth have to be modified right off the bat to accommodate the bridge.

[*]Implantation - Though at first glance, this seems to be the best option as it solves all the problems mentioned. BUT, it is an expensive, major procedure, as in my case, there would need to be some preliminary surgery to build up enough bone to seat the implant. It would on a nine month schedule, with two four-month breaks, first for the bone graft to take, then for the titanium post to seat securely before the actual crown is put in.
[/list]

There are some scary stories on the internet. I did bring this up with the dentist who would do the procedure, who didn't give me any grief for researching nor, interestingly, for being a smoker. He seems a cautious, careful person, though of course he would be biased to his speciality. He's had two done himself, so at least he knows it from the patient side.

If anyone has some experience or advice, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!

 

[Laura]

Well, there is arginine which apparently helps to reverse bone loss/strengthen bones. 3 to 5 grams a day in water in the morning on empty stomach.

I did the antibiotic protocol and that seemed to stop a lot of that mouth deterioration I was suffering.

Plus, there is a product here called ozonoral which is ozonated olive oil that you put on your gums a couple times a day (I just do it at night before bed) and which combats a lot of that stuff. There are some articles about such products on the net.

I have a fixed bridge. I just use the water jet after brushing. It's been there for maybe 5 or 6 years now and never a minute of trouble.

With your bone loss, I'd skip the implant unless and until you can halt or reverse that which is what I've been working on with the above (and seems to be doing okay, knock wood).

 

[Yupo]

I've been wondering the same about an implant. I lost a tooth about a year ago due to a deep fracture. First time in 3 years I was free of pain, once I got over the infection and extraction. With a child about to go to college, spending that much on a tooth seems frivolous. I did not go for the $250. consultation, even for reasons of practical economy. I have a plastic dummy tooth that looks nice, but is not entirely satisfactory because it changes my mouth shape and speech. I seldom wear it.
There are stories about chronic infections with root canals and implants leading to dementia.

 

[Redrock12]

Well, there is arginine which apparently helps to reverse bone loss/strengthen bones. 3 to 5 grams a day in water in the morning on empty stomach.

I did the antibiotic protocol and that seemed to stop a lot of that mouth deterioration I was suffering.

Plus, there is a product here called ozonoral which is ozonated olive oil that you put on your gums a couple times a day (I just do it at night before bed) and which combats a lot of that stuff. There are some articles about such products on the net.

I have a fixed bridge. I just use the water jet after brushing. It's been there for maybe 5 or 6 years now and never a minute of trouble.

With your bone loss, I'd skip the implant unless and until you can halt or reverse that which is what I've been working on with the above (and seems to be doing okay, knock wood).

I have a fixed bridge as well. It was installed in 1989 and it has given me no trouble whatsoever. It's as solid as the day it was installed.
But I'm experiencing some tooth decay, specifically erosion of enamel in a couple of teeth, and I don't know what to do about it. I brush daily with baking soda, use a toothpick-like device with floss, and take 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D daily .

 

[Phill4]

I don't know how viable it is for you, but is travleing to get the proceidure done an option?


Reason i mention is that in south america are good and they are comparably cheap, if that was the case of many inplants deffinetly consider this option, as it can be 10 times cheaper depending on the doctor, and not necesarily bad quality either.

If you feel pain, clove oil is a miraculous analgesic and antibiotic.

 

[Bluefyre]

FWIW herondancer, I have a friend who has implants and regrets it, they've never felt right in her mouth. I have side-by-side bridges in my upper right quadrant, one over two teeth, the first for many years, the second a year ago after chronic years of pain and infection. Bridges are amazing and although it is upsetting to have good teeth partially destroyed it seems like a better alternative to implants.

Redrock, I used to use baking soda and found out how abrasive it is. I now use Earth Paste with extra xylitol. Also taking minerals and vitamin K in organ meats like liver pate really are helping me. My front teeth were translucent and now I can see them turning back to white from the roots up with remineralization. It's a long process.

Laura, thanks for the arginine info as I was told I have some bone loss at my last cleaning in April, so I will add that to my list of supplements.

 

[3DStudent]

I was going to say Vitamin K too, and also Vitamins A, D, and E to regrow teeth. And per the Sott Radio Show, comfrey powder and fermented Cod Liver Oil also help. I have a bit of enamel erosion and translucency, but at my last visit to the dentist recently, she said it was from teeth clenching, which I do at night but throughout the day a bit too.

 

[nicklebleu]

I would advise against having implants made abroad, should you decide to go down that route. Implants have a certain rate of complications, and these can occur a fair way down the track. So you need someone locally to take care of that.

But maybe you could have the bridge done abroad? Might pay for the holiday.

I use hydrogen peroxide for swishing my teeth (3-6% - about a small cap full). It's an excellent antiseptic and whitens the teeth as an added benefit. It is deemed safe by the American Dental Association, which would have every incentive to declare it only safe under dentist supervision. You should not use it all the time - I used it for 2 - 3 weeks, then pause. You might get sensitive teeth as a side effect, in which case it's probably better to stop.

 

[Beau]

I would advise against having implants made abroad, should you decide to go down that route. Implants have a certain rate of complications, and these can occur a fair way down the track. So you need someone locally to take care of that.

But maybe you could have the bridge done abroad? Might pay for the holiday.

Why are you under the impression herondancer has to go "abroad" to undergo the implant procedure? She doesn't mention that in her post.

 

[nicklebleu]

I would advise against having implants made abroad, should you decide to go down that route. Implants have a certain rate of complications, and these can occur a fair way down the track. So you need someone locally to take care of that.

But maybe you could have the bridge done abroad? Might pay for the holiday.

Why are you under the impression herondancer has to go "abroad" to undergo the implant procedure? She doesn't mention that in her post.

That was as an answer to Felipe4's suggestion to herondancer.

 

[Laura]

Here: http://www.colgateprofessional.com/patient-education/articles/fighting-gum-disease

sez:

A relatively new drug in the arsenal against serious gum disease called Periostat (doxycycline hyclate) was approved by the FDA in 1998 to be used in combination with SRP. While SRP primarily eliminates bacteria, Periostat, which is taken orally, suppresses the action of collagenase, an enzyme that causes destruction of the teeth and gums. ...

Periostat
A low dose of the medication doxycycline that keeps destructive enzymes in check To hold back the body's enzyme response. If not controlled, certain enzymes can break down bone and connective tissue. This medication is in pill form. It is used in combination with scaling and root planing.

So it seems that low dose doxy can help with periodontal disease.

http://www.medicinenet.com/doxycycline_20mg-oral/article.htm

Drug info page says the pills are 20 mg and you take them one or two times a day.

Drug warnings here:

https://www.drugs.com/cdi/periostat.html

ADDED:

Something else interesting that I just stumbled on:

http://nutritionreview.org/2014/07/drynaria-gentle-dental-herb/

Modern research has identified the physiological actions by which traditional bone-knitting herbs work to rebuild bone tissues. Over time a large body of contemporary research has focused on one particular herb that is particularly effective at restoring bone loss arising from periodontal disease. The herb, Drynaria fortunei, is referred to in China as GuSuiBu, literally meaning “mend broken bones.”

Early scientific research on Drynaria focused on its ability to rebuild healthy bone to reverse the effects of osteoporosis. Bone building, called remodeling, requires maintaining a careful balancing act between the destruction of weak, old bone (resorption) and the manufacturing of new, healthy bone (regeneration). When old bone is broken down at a faster rate than new bone is created, the result is osteoporosis. (8,12,13)

Drynaria has been shown to improve bone rebuilding in several examples of excessive bone loss. ...

One group of dental researchers conducted an animal study to see if Drynaria could counter the alveolar bone resorption effects caused by E. Coli bacteria. Their study showed that the extract suppressed bone resorption and promoted bone regeneration. (29)

 

[MusicMan]

My farmer friend had all his teeth loosened when he was kicked in the chin by a cow. He put up with it for many years, but recently went for the implant option. It has certainly improved his looks, but he is out of pocket over $10,000 for the privilege.
I myself had a bone infection over one tooth, and had to have a perfectly good tooth removed so that the infection could be treated properly. There was no hope of recovering the tooth as the bone was gone. Interestingly part of the implant process to recover the bone uses bovine bone as a substrate for the tooth implant. I could never afford that, besides I'm not keen on cross-species transplantation, so I just opted for the tooth removal.
In the end, you get what you can pay for, and you make your own choice.

 

[DougEE]

I would advise against having implants made abroad, should you decide to go down that route. Implants have a certain rate of complications, and these can occur a fair way down the track. So you need someone locally to take care of that.

Yes the Titanium implants are a 2-piece installation and there are many recorded fractures occurring. There is a 1-piece implant that is non-metallic and is called CeraRoot, and for those people concerned about putting more metal in their mouth, this is a good option.

 

[herondancer]

thank you everyone for your answers and all the great information.

To clarify, there is infection or bone loss in the upper jaw. It's only in the interior of the molar in question, specific to the dentin. The bone graft was recommended because there simply isn't enough native bone in the area to anchor the post. It's under the sinus which is naturally thinner in that spot.

Thanks for the info on CeraRoot, DougEE. I will look into it. However, given all the information, a permanent bridge does sound like the way to go. It's way less invasive and less costly. I was somewhat biased against them as my mother had both partials and bridges, which gave her a world of grief. However, we're talking circa 1960s to early '70s dentistry. Things seem to have come a long way since then.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[Altair]

I was going to say Vitamin K too, and also Vitamins A, D, and E to regrow teeth. And per the Sott Radio Show, comfrey powder and fermented Cod Liver Oil also help. I have a bit of enamel erosion and translucency, but at my last visit to the dentist recently, she said it was from teeth clenching, which I do at night but throughout the day a bit too.

Ramiel Nagel writes about it in his book Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition. I would recommend you to read the book first. He explains pretty good the process of tooth restoration.