One of the great advances in medicine and dentistry is the ability to effectively replace worn-out, diseased, injured and broken parts of our body with man-made prosthetics for worn-out, broken, injured, abused and diseased parts of our body. Consider the great advancements in prosthetic limbs for our wounded warriors. I salute these heroes who have sacrificed so much. It is somewhat comforting to know that many can be assisted in regaining some of what they have lost with prosthetics. Consider athletes who have advanced degenerative joints at young ages from extreme use. Consider our aging population who have joints that are wearing out from normal everyday use. And now to my topic, consider our teeth that are used daily and often over used. Besides normal chewing we use our teeth in many ways that make me as a dentist cringe- we open packages, bite fingernails, suck on citrus fruits, drink sports and energy drinks, chew on toothpicks, chew tobacco, hold pens, pins, pipes, hairpins between our teeth- the list goes on.

It may surprise you that in this country, which is blessed with a highly educated public and advanced preventative dentistry, approximately 25% of adults over 60 have no teeth (edentulous). Just next door, in West Virginia, 42% of people over 65 are without teeth. These are the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, 2006.

The most common cause for the loss of teeth for adults is gum disease (pyorrhea, periodontal disease) and secondly is tooth decay (cavities). Education, excellent homecare and regular dental visits are important to good dental health which is linked to good medical health.

How do we replace teeth for those who have lost all of their teeth? There are three ways to do this: removable dentures, removable dentures stabilized with implants or non-removable implant supported teeth. The non-removable implant supported teeth procedure is an exciting option.

For people who have lost or need to lose all of their teeth in one or both jaws, replacement with non-removable teeth is the closest thing to nature and it can be done in a day! Imagine being able to have a few visits to consult with your dentists and then go in one day and come out with new non-removable teeth. What a special day this is for patients who have suffered with no teeth, poor dentures or diseased teeth, often for many years. This is an incredible achievement and a huge advantage to patients. They are no longer handicapped by having no teeth, loose dentures or gums and teeth that are full of disease.

The way this incredible treatment is accomplished in a day is through close team collaboration between a restorative dentist, a dental laboratory technician and a dental surgeon. The team all need advanced training in surgery, placing implants, making teeth and restoring implants for patients missing all of their teeth or needing extraction of all their teeth. The restorative dentist and surgeon have a few visits with the patient to gather records (photos, impressions, x-rays) prior to the big day. Then the two dentists discuss the case and bring in the lab technician to plan and make the first set of teeth. The day the patient gets his or her new teeth they will be very comfortable, often sedated. Any remaining teeth will be removed, the bone adjusted, 4-6 implants placed per jaw and the first set of teeth placed and attached to the implants. It sounds a bit overwhelming but the facts and science show this to be an incredibly effective and successful treatment.

About 6 months after the big day a final set of stronger teeth are made and placed by the restorative dentist and lab technician. During this 6 months any changes to appearance, bite, color and shape of teeth can be discussed so that the final set is even more natural and pleasing for the patient. This involves a few new records but no more surgery just impressions. Simply take out the first set of teeth and put in new final set of teeth. WOW!

Teeth in a Day is a registered trademark of Prosthodontics Intermedica.

Dr. Robert A. Gallegos is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, he is on the faculty of Spear Education, and a member of several dental organizations including the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Dental Association. Dr. Gallegos practices dentistry in Middleburg, VA. You can learn more about his practice at www.MiddleburgSmiles.com and request a copy of this article at info@middleburgsmiles.com.