Second Chances Can Be Miraculous

Q: When I was a kid, we moved around a lot – and I mean a lot – and always in the hinterlands.

There were no medical or dental services close. We were a big family and when we kids got toothaches, we were lucky if mom or dad was going to town that was hours away so we could see a dentist and get the tooth pulled.

My parents just didn’t have money for our teeth so baby teeth would start to ache, then gums would swell, then a piece of tooth break off and then miraculously, after a couple of days, the swelling would break and then the pain was gone. When that was over, we’d have what seemed like a spike of tooth left, which we’d try to wiggle out with our tongue but only came out right before the adult tooth came in.

It seemed like our adult teeth were soft, too, because we got cavities almost as fast as they came in. Finally, we got to a place where there was a dentist and we got fillings - only if the dentist thought the tooth could be saved and didn’t have too much decay, otherwise, out it came.

I got by to my adult life with most of my teeth but they’ve been filled and patched over and over. I’ve had root canals and broken teeth and even though I have most of them, I just can’t see how they’ll last no matter what I do. I’m almost at retirement age and have got to do something. Because decay is such a big deal for me and my siblings, I don’t think I want more root canals and crowns. Besides, I’ve got gums receding and bone missing. What about implants? I don’t know if I can do them, but they won’t decay - will they last?

A: During the lifetime of those who are seniors, many have experienced rampant decay as children, teenagers, and young adults and are left with compromised dentitions. Before giving up on your teeth, it would be wise to have a very thorough exam and see what kind of reconstruction (tooth replacement) is best.

Several options can then be given and you can evaluate what is best for you. It might surprise you what good dental care can do in providing exceptional function and aesthetics.

The most miraculous transformation, when teeth are not salvageable, is having implants placed and a bridge that reconstructs your bite and smile installed in one appointment.

This is a twenty plus year procedure with huge worldwide success. In our eleven years of offering this experience, it has been a great blessing to dozens upon dozens of individuals suffering as you have.

So, get a good, thorough exam and diagnosis, then treatment plans that fit your situation, then choose.

If we can help, we’d like to. Call 778-410-2080 for a consultation.

Based on actual patient cases

© Calvin Ross Crapo

Victoria Implant Centre

778-410-2080

www.VictoriaImplantCentre.com

What’s A Dental Sink Hole?

Q: About six weeks ago, I’d had it with my front teeth. They were so sharp they’d cut my tongue and it would literally bleed and then become sore – the very tip, and you know how the tongue is – can’t leave anything alone and is always testing to see it’s feeling better. It was miserable. I said to my husband, I’ve got four front teeth that don’t look right and the front ones are killing my tongue.

So, I went and got a very thorough work up, but I said I just want my four front teeth crowned. Well, wouldn’t you know he found I had lost a lot of bone on one side of my left front tooth – the real sharp one. He told me that my bite was partially to blame, and I needed a bone graft. He showed me my x-ray and it was plain as day. I asked him where would the bone come from so he told me it would be a mix of my own bone, some human bone made for that purpose, and what he called growth factors.

So, I went for it. He temporarily fixed my front tooth (because that was my main concern while the bone graft was maturing). When I was finished, he told me he’d run into something that was fairly rare. He said as he was getting some of my own bone, he ran into something, I can’t remember the right term but he explained it was like dropping into a sink hole. He explained that sometimes a tooth socket doesn’t grow back and it becomes a space with bad stuff but curiously doesn’t usually hurt, or swell, or have normal infection symptoms. He also said that these sink holes aren’t seen on normal or 3D x-rays. I’ve never heard of that. It was unexpected. He said he cleaned it out and put bone in there, too. Is that normal?

A: The ‘sink hole’ you’re referring to is commonly called a cavitation. It was observed as an entity by several historical dental surgeons over 100 years ago. It was not embraced as a dental pathology by dental schools or surgeons at large through most of the twentieth century.

Cavitations are not seen in traditional x-rays or even new dental three-dimensional x-rays. In my experience they are discovered by chance while doing other surgeries. It is best that they are thoroughly cleaned out and the surrounding bone ‘scrubbed’ to eliminate all unhealthy remnants. In my experience I’ve mostly grafted the boneless caverns but on one occasion, the space permitted an implant after thorough debridement and channeling for implant insertion.

Many causes are listed but I’m not sure all that are listed in an online fact sheet are reliable. My reading, study, and coursework have made me aware that serious health conditions or symptoms that can manifest with cavitations may seriously affect one’s health and the cause not be readily found or understood.

When these cavitations are discovered, they must be treated and thank goodness yours was.If we can help, we’d like to. Call 778-410-2080 for a consultation.

Based on actual patient cases

© Calvin Ross Crapo

Victoria Implant Centre

778-410-2080

www.VictoriaImplantCentre.com