The Evolution of Tooth Replacement

THE EVOLUTION OF TOOTH REPLACEMENT

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

By Dr. Julian Camastra

About the Cover Photo - “Forest Glow”

Eden Grove, about 40 minutes via logging roads from Port Renfrew on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC boasts some of the last intact old growth rainforests on the west coast. I am continually searching for new forest shots both locally and all-over British Columbia. I have visited Eden Grove approximately 8 times over the last 4-5 years, and the soft golden light in the fall of 2021 remains one of my favourites today.

Dave Hutchison has been creating images on the west coast of British Columbia for over 18 years and is now a full-time photographer based on southern Vancouver Island & the Gulf Islands of BC. Dave won Best in Class for Fine Art at the 2020 PPOC National Image competition for his image “Drop in time.” Dave also photographs for a wide range of commercial clients and is an Advanced Operations drone pilot by Transport Canada. Dave leads private photo tours for clients seeking the “hidden” locations on Vancouver Island. Please visit his website at https://davehutchisonphotography.com for more details and fine art print information.

Whetherit’s from getting hit in the face and having a tooth come loose, from biting on something too hard and cracking a tooth down the middle, from tooth decay or gum disease, tooth loss has been a fact of life for as long as humans have existed. While it is possible to live without teeth, there are very good reasons why it is important to replace missing teeth.

These include:

• Proper biting and chewing ability

• Clearer speech

• Maintaining facial structure

• Supporting remaining teeth

• Enhanced appearance and confidence

We can find many examples of tooth replacement throughout history, some even dating back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians. The desire to replace missing teeth is as old as civilization itself.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOOTH REPLACEMENT TECHNIQUE

In the 1700’s, George Washington famously wore custom made dentures to replace his missing teeth. (These were not made of wood, as folklore suggests!)

In the 20th century, with the improvement of materials and techniques, tooth replacement began to get more sophisticated. The following tooth replacement options that were developed in the 20th century are still available today:

These are:

• Flippers

• Metal/acrylic dentures

• Conventional bridges

• Bonded Maryland bridges

• Titanium dental implants

Now, in the more recent years of the 21st century, further advancements have resulted in newer options. Materials and techniques continue to be developed and improved, so that all of the traditional options listed above have also been improved.

Most remarkably, there is the newest addition to available tooth replacement options, which is:

• Ceramic (metal-free) dental implants

The bottom line is that there has never been a better time in history to lose a tooth! On the following pages you will find each option outlined in detail.

FULL SET OF IMPLANT SUPPORTED UPPER TEETH

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DENTURES FROM THE 1700’S

FLIPPERS (INTERIM PARTIAL DENTURES)

Flippers are an inexpensive solution to replace a missing tooth, and they can look pretty good. The downside is that they come in and out and from a functional standpoint they are not great for chewing food.

METAL/ACRYLIC DENTURES (PARTIAL OR COMPLETE)

Complete or partial dentures can be an effective way for patients to replace several or all of their teeth in an economical fashion. They can also look very good but, in some cases, the metal from the clasps or ‘hooks’ will be visible in the smile. Some patients find this to be bothersome. The other downsides are that they come in and out and that they have a tendency to move around while eating or speaking. The movement can be uncomfortable and may lead to additional bone loss in the jaw bone. Some patients choose to use denture ‘glue’ to help limit this movement.

INTERIM PARTIAL DENTURE PARTIAL DENTURE COMPLETE DENTURE

CONVENTIONAL BRIDGES

Conventional bridges can be made of a combination of metal and ceramics or they can be all ceramic. They can be an economical way to permanently replace a missing tooth, especially if the supporting teeth are structurally compromised and could also benefit from a crown. They can also look very natural and function well. The downside is that the supporting teeth need to be shaved down, which could disturb the nerve or dental pulp of those otherwise healthy teeth. There will also be some bone loss in the area where the tooth is missing. Bridges are also trickier to keep clean as the teeth are all attached and so floss must be ‘threaded’ underneath the bridge in order to keep it clean and prevent tooth decay. A water flosser can also be an invaluable tool to help keep something like this clean.

BONDED MARYLAND BRIDGES

Maryland bridges can be great alternatives to conventional bridges. They are much more conservative in design because they do not require the shaving down of the supporting teeth. Rather, small wings are fabricated to be bonded to the supporting teeth. This limits possible injury to the nerve or dental pulp. The downside of this technique is that it is not always possible to perform depending on the bite and region of the mouth. There is a tendency for the wings to come de-bonded, depending on the chewing forces applied to the bridge. Thus, the bridge can be prone to falling out frequently and at inconvenient times. In these cases, the bridge is re-bonded back in to the mouth and there can be additional charges for this procedure.

CONVENTIONAL BRIDGE BONDED MARYLAND BRIDGE

TITANIUM DENTAL IMPLANTS

Titanium dental implants revolutionized dentistry in the late 20th century and early 21st century. For the first time, patients had the opportunity to permanently replace the root of the missing tooth along with the crown. This meant that a tooth could be replaced without disturbing the neighbouring teeth, and that the underlying bone in the area could be maintained and stimulated through chewing. We have had wonderful success with titanium dental implants over the years. For the vast majority of patients, the implant process is straightforward and uneventful, with no serious side effects or complications. However, there is research to show that over the long term, 20-40% of patients will experience some level of bone loss and inflammation, known as peri-implantitis, around their titanium dental implant. One potential cause of this can be a biological intolerance to the metal alloy itself.

Crown Dental Implant Gum Tooth Root Jawbone WHAT THE CONNECTION TO IMPLANTS LOOKS LIKE BELOW THE GUMS TITANIUM IMPLANT AFTER SIX YEARS WITH NO BONE LOSS TITANIUM IMPLANT COMPONENTS TITANIUM IMPLANT ANATOMY

CERAMIC (ZIRCONIA) DENTAL IMPLANTS

Ceramic dental implants have been a viable alternative since the early 21st century. The earlier versions of these implants suffered from a high rate of mechanical failure, but after a few decades of refinement, these implants are proving to be a very effective and successful alternative to titanium. Zirconia is the most biologically compatible dental implant material currently available. They are white in colour, thus are more aesthetic looking along the gum line. The gums are also able to form a tight seal around these implants, preventing bacteria from creeping in below. Ceramic implants require a more holistic approach to dental care in order for their healing to be successful. Unlike titanium implants, ceramic implants only osseointegrate in a healthy environment. Poor overall health, or nutritional deficiency can negatively impact the body’s and jawbone’s ability to integrate with these ceramic implants. Therefore, dietary changes and nutritional supplementation, including Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Vitamin C, Omega 3 and Magnesium are recommended to ensure that the bone healing response is optimal. If you choose to replace your missing tooth with a ceramic implant, it is the perfect opportunity to optimize your overall health and this is what we are particularly passionate about helping our patients with at the Canadian BioHealth Center. Click here to learn about my experience having a tooth removed and replaced with a ceramic implant!

THE GUMS FORM A SEAL WITH THE CERAMIC IMPANT

CERAMIC IMPLANT ENGAGING SINUS FLOOR THE GUMS FORM A SEAL WITH THE CERAMIC IMPANT

NOTES:

ABOUT THE CANADIAN BIOHEALTH CENTER:

At the Canadian BioHealth Center, your overall health is our priority. As dentists, we tend to limit our focus to the mouth. Patients come to see us with tooth problems, and like a mechanic, we ﬁx them. Restoring the patient’s ability to bite and chew with those teeth, and also improving their aesthetic appearance. These are important functions and crucial skills for dentists to have, but often times this is done without taking the time to consider the underlying reason why these problems occurred, or that the remedy and methods employed may indeed carry negative health implications for the patient. The use of metals in dentistry is a good example of this. While metals can make for very strong and durable dental restorative materials, we know that prolonged systemic exposure to metals is not ideal from a health perspective.

At the Canadian BioHealth Center, our mission, through our treatments and education, is to help our patients optimize their overall health. As dentists, we tend to limit our focus to the mouth. Patients come to see us with tooth problems and, like a mechanic, we fix them, restoring the patient’s ability to bite and chew with those teeth and also improving their aesthetic appearance. Although these are important functions and crucial procedures for dentists to perform, these treatments are often done without taking the time to consider the underlying reason why tooth problems have occurred, nor that the remedy and methods employed may indeed carry negative health implications for the patient. The use of metals in dentistry is a good example of this. While metals can make for very strong and durable dental restorative materials, we know that prolonged systemic exposure to metals is not ideal from a health perspective.

For years I explored alternative approaches to dental care that addressed these concerns. In 2022, I met Dr. Karl Ulrich Volz of Swiss Dental Solutions and the Swiss BioHealth Clinic. I learned that Dr. Volz had spent the previous three decades developing the products, protocols and techniques that are needed to address these deficiencies in the dental field. This culminated in May, 2023, when I attended his course in Switzerland and, at the same time, had my own tooth treated with his methods in Biological Dentistry. The experience was so impactful for me that it was then I decided to create the Canadian BioHealth Center and bring this revolutionary treatment concept home to Canada.

For years I explored alternative approaches to dental care that addressed these concerns. In 2022, I met Dr. Karl Ulrich Volz of Swiss Dental Solutions and the Swiss BioHealth Clinic. I learned that Dr. Volz had spent the previous three decades developing the products, protocols and techniques that were needed to address these deﬁciencies in the dental ﬁeld. This culminated in May, 2023, when I attended his course in Switzerland, and at the same time had my own tooth treated with his methods in Biological Dentistry. It was then that I decided to create the Canadian BioHealth Center and bring this revolutionary treatment concept home to Canada. It is truly an honour and a pleasure for us to help and serve you on your journey to optimal health!

Sincerely,

Knowing that oral health and overall health are inseparable is at the very foundation of our treatment philosophy. It is truly an honour and a pleasure for us to help and serve you on your journey to optimal health!

Sincerely,

Dr. Julian Camastra Dr. Julian Camastra

Ontario | Canada info@canadabiohealth.com www.canadabiohealth.com

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

The Evolution of Tooth Replacement