Dentists Are Using Improved Dental Implants

The following article appears at: http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7131830

NATIONAL - Having dental problems goes far beyond a flawed smile. It affects self-esteem and even the way a person eats. New technology is taking dental implants to a higher level.

These days Darla Keenum has a lot to smile about.

Not long ago, she had to wear traditional dentures. She was born with a birth defect called Ectodermal Dysplasia. She had very few teeth and very little bone to support them.

"They would tell me that, you know, my teeth weren't normal and stuff, and I didn't understand. But I couldn't eat a lot of things," she says.

Years of denture wear and poor hygiene caused painful gum disease and cavities. Eventually, dentists removed all of her teeth.

They completely transformed Darla's mouth.

Dr. Robert J. Cronin says, "It's very important for us not only to just restore the teeth, but to restore facial contours as well. And that's what these new implants and techniques and technologies are very, very good at."

First, Darla had bone graft surgery to rebuild the bone in her mouth. Then doctors were able to design an advanced one-piece prostheses to replace both arches in her mouth. In the past, dental implants only replaced single or small groups of teeth. Replacing the whole arch is new. They also used a new material that matches her natural tooth color.

Dr. Paul Chang said, "This is kind of like your own teeth, so you have to take care of it like your own teeth. You have to go floss underneath, you have to, you know, clean it every day, you know, brush and floss like your own teeth."

Darla says she's able to speak and eat better and does both with much more self-confidence.

Doctor Cronin says patients who have lost teeth because of cavities and periodontal disease may also benefit from this new, one-piece dental arch. But be advised, this technology is very new, and the San Antonio-based team is the first to use it, so it may be awhile before it's available nationwide.