If you have dentures and want a better alternative or if your teeth are failing and you are uncomfortable with the idea of getting dentures, here is a great alternative.

One of the significant advances in medicine and dentistry is the ability to effectively replace worn-out, diseased, injured, and broken parts of our body with human-made prosthetics. Consider the incredible 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 help regain 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 arthritis and regular everyday use. And now, to my topic, consider our teeth that are used daily and often overused. 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 sodas, 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 home care, and regular dental visits are essential to good dental health 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 the same day with new non-removable teeth. What a special day this is for patients who have suffered from 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 any teeth, loose dentures or gums, and teeth 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) before the big day. Then the two dentists discuss the case and bring in the lab technician to plan and make the first teeth set. The day the patient gets their new teeth, they will be very comfortable and 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 overwhelming, but the facts and science show this to be an incredibly effective and successful treatment.

About six months after the big day, a final set of stronger teeth are made and placed by the restorative dentist and lab technician. During this six 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. Simply take out the first set of teeth and put in a new final set of teeth. WOW!

Dr. Robert A. Gallegos is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry. He is on the faculty of Spear Education, a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and the American Dental Association. Dr. Gallegos practices dentistry in Middleburg, VA. www.MiddleburgSmiles.com.