Shelby Dentist: Endodontic Surgery to save an infected root canal tooth

December 9, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Providing Dental Services n Shelby Twp. Michigan and in the Sterling Heights area, Dr. Antolak has a wide variety of dental procedures that he is capable of doing including saving teeth that may need to be removed.  The following video shows such a dental procedure.  There is some graphic video present so if you are squeamish about blood than you may not want to watch this.

When a root canal fails you may develop drainage  and swelling at the end of the root and into the cheek area.  The drainage is puss and is a sign of an infection.   This swelling can come from a lack of coverage over the crown of the tooth and bacteria enters the root, contaminates the root canal filling and enters the bone.  It can also fail due to a fractured root,  poor fill or for a number of reasons.

The pressure from the puss will create a hole in the bone and then balloon out the soft gum tissue.  This usually will require extraction and replacement with an implant.  Sometimes under the right circumstance it may be possible to have this dental procedure done to save the tooth.
If you have any questions you can call our Shelby Twp. dental office at 586.247.3500.

Filed Under: Dental Surgery, Dental Videos, General Dentistry, Health Implications, Mouth pain Tagged With: , , ,

Shelby Dentist: Differences between mini-implants and regular implants

September 7, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

 

I have patients come into our Shelby Township Dental Office asking advice on whether to have mini implants or standard sized implants placed.  This is a fairly common question I get and want to give some information which describes their commonalities and their differences.   Generally, I would have to answer  that the basic differences in them is the flexibility and what they are going to be used for.

Dental implants are made of titanium, a metal that is completely compatible with the body.  The human  body does not have a reaction to this metal.  Very few metals are bio-compatible which means that they do not create an immune response in the body.  This is what has made implants successful over the past 40 years or so.

  • The standard dental implant is usually made of 2 pieces and is greater than 3 mm in diameter   The standard dental implant has an external screw that allows it to be screwed into the bone and an internal thread which allows different components to be torqued down into the dental implant.    The inside threads of the standard sized implant allows different  components to be attached to them.

The components or abutments are used to:

  • replace missing teeth or a single tooth.
  • Hold  removable dentures in place so they can be snapped on and off. These abutments are like “snaps” and because they are screwed into the dental implant they can have a stronger hold than the mini dental implants

There are many different manufactures of these standard  dental implants that have their own shape and design.  The good news is that they all work very well with a over a 95% chance of success.

  • Mini dental implants are a solid one piece screw that is less than 3 mm in diameter with a specialized ball shaped end that sticks out of the jaw bone.  Inside of the denture is a rubber O ring that fits around this ball.  When the denture is placed over the ball the rubber O ring keeps the denture retained.

Comparisons:

  • Because the mini dental implant is only 3 mm in diameter it needs to be 1 piece for strength. The 2 piece standard dental implants have enough diameter so that an internal thread can be placed inside of the top of the dental implant and keep it strong enough.  When comparing the two systems it is necessary to use four mini dental implants to hold a lower denture in place whereas two standard implants would be comparable.
  • The cost of a standard implant is about 50% more because of the fact that there are more components and because the surgery is a little more advanced.
  • Mini dental implants are good for those who are in poor health because no flap of gum tissue needs to be made for these.  Because no flap is needed it also becomes more challenging because the bone in these patients is usually very thin and it is hard to determine where the ridge of bone is.
  • Because the standard sized  dental implant has individual components screwed into them the become more universal and can be used for different purposes.

I can do and have done both mini dental implants and standard dental implants in my Macomb County Dental office but I prefer the placement of standard dental implants if there is enough bone because it is more predictable to use in my hands.

About The Author

Dr. Robert Antolak, DDS graduated from the University of Michigan in 1987 with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. He is dedicated to providing the highest quality and appropriate cosmetic, sedation and general dentistry in the most comfortable and gentle way possible. Because being a dentist has been a lifelong dream, Dr. Antolak has a passion for the profession. He enjoys helping people feel better about their smiles and therefore their self-image with dental implant and cosmetic dentistry. His Dental Practice is located in Shelby Township, Michigan.  For more information visit The Gentle Dentist.

Filed Under: Dental fear, Dental Implants, Dentures, General Dentistry, Health Implications, How to choose a dentist, Tooth replacement Tagged With: , , ,

Shelby Dentist: Periodontal Disease and Chronic Inflammation Treatment

August 20, 2010 by ·

Do you have bad breath, bleeding gums when brushing or flossing, loose teeth or history of tooth loss?  If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you may have periodontal disease. Gum disease is very common. Unfortunately most people don’t even know that they have periodontal (gum) disease.  It isn’t until it is too late when their teeth start getting loose that they want to do something about it and many times it is too late and they have to have their teeth removed or need extensive treatment.  In fact, with recent research linking the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and low birth weight babies with periodontal disease and bleeding gums it is critical to have your mouth assessed for this infective disease. The bacteria in the gums leach out in the blood stream requiring the body’s immune system to constantly fight off these invaders.

This constant and chronic immune response is not a good thing because it causes chronic inflammation. Over the past 3-4 years research has been showing that chronic systemic inflammatory diseases such as periodontal disease can increase the level of a substance called c-Reactive protein. The liver releases this substance in response to systemic inflammation.  As the level of c-reactive protein increases so does the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart attack, and diabetes according to multiple clinical studies. In fact, testing for C-reactive protein in a blood test may be an effective early warning test for asymptomatic, or presymptomatic heart disease.

Listed are chronic systemic diseases that can increase the c-Reactive protein levels in the blood.

  • acne allergies and sensitivities
  • Alzheimer’ss disease
  • arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis
  • asthma
  • atherosclerosis
  • bronchitis
  • cancer
  • carditis
  • celiac disease
  • chronic pain
  • Crohn’s disease
  • cirrhosis
  • colitis
  • dementia
  • dermatitis
  • diabetes
  • edema
  • emphysema
  • eczema
  • fibromyalgia
  • gastroenteritis
  • gingivitis
  • heart disease
  • hepatitis
  • high blood pressure
  • interstitial cystitis
  • myositis
  • nephritis
  • obesity
  • osteopenia
  • osteoporosis
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • periodontal disease
  • polyarteritis
  • polychondritis
  • psoriasis
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • scleroderma
  • sinusitis
  • spastic colon
  • syndrome X
  • systemic candidiasis
  • tendonitis
  • UTI
  • vaginitis

We find that the c-reactive protein levels can significantly fall once the periodontal disease is treated which in effect can reduce their risk for heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and low weight preterm babies. In addition to the treatment in our office, we work to boost the body/s immune system by using anti-oxidants. For smokers, we highly suggest to them that they become part of a smoking cessation program. If you are in a high risk category and don’t know your status of periodontal disease then have it evaluated.  The c-reactive protein levels are evaluated by blood tests and since this is important indicator your periodontal status should also be tested.  This is to protect you and your heart.  If you don’t have a dentist you can contact our office at (586) 247-3500.  Our Dental Office is located in Shelby Township, Michigan — Southeast Michigan in Macomb County.

About The Author

Dr. Robert Antolak, DDS graduated from the University of Michigan in 1987 with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. He is dedicated to providing the highest quality and appropriate cosmetic, sedation and general dentistry in the most comfortable and gentle way possible. Because being a dentist has been a lifelong dream, Dr. Antolak has a passion for the profession. He enjoys helping people feel better about their smiles and therefore their self-image with dental implant and cosmetic dentistry. His Dental Practice is located in Shelby Township, Michigan.  For more information visit The Gentle Dentist.

Filed Under: Dental Hygiene, General Dentistry, Health Implications, Mouth pain, Nutrition, Periodontal Disease Tagged With: , , , , ,
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