Periodontal disease is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in adults. The dental prosthesis for periodontal disease often requires complex therapy.
Why is periodontal disease so dangerous?
Many causes can lead to periodontal disease:
- Poor oral hygiene in the patient
- Metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, high blood lipid levels
- Smoking
- Pregnancy
- Genetic factors
If the treatment is inadequate, the inflammation not only affects the gums but also, in the long term, the bones. Horizontal and vertical fractures occur. The bone breaks down, we can anchor the healthy teeth in the bone and detach from the teeth holding apparatus. Loosened teeth and exposed tooth necks are the results, in the worst case, it can lead to tooth loss. At the first signs of periodontal disease, therefore make a dentist appointment quickly to protect your teeth.
How useful is a new denture for periodontal disease?
Many patients with acute periodontal disease want new teeth for their toothless jaws immediately. Aesthetics, phonetics, and functionality are the major reasons to get a fixed bridge or implant as soon as possible after tooth loss. From a dental perspective, rapid restorations are useful and necessary for various reasons. Acute bone loss is primarily counteracted by stressing the bone when chewing. The jawbone is strengthened by the tensile and compressive forces when grinding the teeth. Be sure to seek treatment after periodontitis with healthy gums to reduce the risk of new inflammation.
The following applies: after tooth loss, an implant or bridge solution should be prepared quickly.
If you need new, fixed dentures because of an acute inflammation of the gums, including gingivitis, still have plenty of motivation and time for the periodontal treatment. Because there are several sessions at your dentist.
The most important goal in periodontal treatment is the minimization or therapy of the periodontal disease BEFORE the replacement of new artificial teeth.
If we insert new dentures during acute periodontitis, this procedure can lead to unsightly transitions between the implant and the tooth neck after the gingivitis has healed. Black borders often appear. Therefore, make sure you actively eliminate periodontitis and all bacteria – before investing a lot of time and money in new dentures.
Sensible therapy in 5 steps
Step 1: The first prophylaxis appointment
With active periodontal disease, the periodontal screening index is determined during a professional tooth cleaning. The defects and depths of your gum pockets are measured.
Step 2: Removal of all carious defects
If you suffer from tooth decay, your dentist will remove all carious defects in your teeth so that it minimizes the bacterial deposits in your oral cavity, the inflammation is reduced, and your gums can heal more easily.
Step 3: The second prophylaxis appointment
At a second, timely prophylaxis appointment, the health insurance company will then check your motivation for better and more active oral hygiene. Besides, the plaque infestation is cleaned and measured and a gingival pocket is probing for its depth. Dentist send these values to your health insurance company as a periodontal disease plan, and they request a refurbishment.
Step 4: cleaning the gums and tooth necks
As soon as the periodontal disease plan is approved by your health insurance company, your dentist will begin professional cleaning of the gums and the tooth necks covered by the gums. Any medication or antibiotic intake to eliminate bacteria may be associated with this.
Step 5: impression taking and preparation
Your oral cavity will then be prepared to produce the new dentures, implants. To guarantee precision in the fit, the healed gums are molded. The long path of periodontal treatment pays off later because unsightly transitions between dentures and the body’s natural teeth are minimized.
Step 6: insertion and follow-up care
After your dental implant or bridge has been placed, the treatment is far from over. Follow-up care as regular prophylaxis sessions in the practice, including professional teeth cleaning paired with regular and intensive oral hygiene, are the be-all and end-all. This is how you lay the foundation for a beautiful new smile and minimize the risk of new inflammation.
Which dentures are the best solution for periodontal disease?
First, every patient is different, and so is every tooth and body. So, there is no ONE solution for everyone. The basis of every dental prosthesis treatment – regardless of whether it is a dental implant or a bridge – is to remedy the inflammation of the gums. If this is not completely successful, the success of the treatment depends heavily on loosening and the number and position of the remaining teeth.
If your remaining teeth are already loosened so much that no bridges can be placed even with small gaps, a problem arises: the teeth are loosening increasingly and detaching themselves from the tooth socket in the bone. And an artificial tooth root would also loosen quickly.
We recommend the following options:
- For minimally loosened teeth and only slightly damaged bones: bridges and/or dental implants. With dentition damaged by the periodontal disease with minor bone loss, implants are often the best solution for closing the gap.
- With moderately damaged bones and teeth that are no longer permanently resilient: Here, it is important to consider whether fixed dentures, such as dental implants, are an appropriate alternative. If an abutment tooth on which a fixed denture was planned is lost, it can quickly become obsolete. A lot of money and time was then invested in vain.
- For teeth that are irreparably damaged by inflammation of the gums: Removable dentures are usually the best solution for severe periodontal disease.
Do you suffer from periodontal disease? Then let your dentist give you detailed advice on intensive therapy. During this time, pay close attention to your oral hygiene to ensure the basis for a permanently firm bite.