text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Zhang Hua
picture/provided by interviewee
If a tooth is lost or cracked, does it need to be repaired immediately? Many people do not pay much attention to dental problems, especially the elderly. They often feel that as long as it does not affect their ability to eat, they will not seek treatment. Recently, Li Xiang, director of the Dental Department of the East Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, said in an interview with a reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News that in recent years, both tooth loss and tooth loss are high-risk diseases in the dental department, and are affected by the aging population. Affected by various factors such as culture, its prevalence shows a significant upward trend.
"Since missing teeth will not only affect oral problems, but also affect the health of the whole body, and delayed repair may increase the difficulty of final tooth repair . Therefore, it is recommended that when missing teeth occur, It’s better to repair it in time,” Li Xiang said.
Elderly people have misunderstandings about missing tooth restoration
For many elderly people who have lost one or two teeth, they often do not feel the need to repair them immediately. As a result, the missing teeth lead to a series of problems. Li Xiang pointed out that in old age, various organs of the human body will experience functional degradation, and teeth, as an organ of the human body, are no exception. The teeth of elderly patients generally have weakened tooth structure, and even severe wear and looseness. Failure to intervene in time can lead to missing teeth.
There are also some elderly patients who do not have adequate oral maintenance and poor oral hygiene conditions for various reasons, which will cause periodontal disease , caries , etc., which will lead to further loosening and loss of teeth.
So if a tooth is missing, does it need to be repaired immediately? Li Xiang believes that many elderly people have been clinically found to have missing teeth that have not been repaired for several years. As a result, they wait until their teeth shift , causing problems with their bite, and even being unable to eat before they go to the hospital for treatment. "Each of us has 28-32 teeth, and each tooth has its own position. If one is missing, its adjacent teeth will shift toward the gap. This will cause bite misalignment.
In addition, if If the front teeth are missing, the speech will be leaky and the words will not be clear; and if the molars are missing, you can only chew with the teeth on the other side. If things go on like this, the wear of the teeth on the healthy side will double, eventually leading to a decline in chewing function in some elderly people. Too many missing teeth will not only prevent you from eating meat, but you will also be unable to chew vegetables, which will also affect the absorption of nutrients and ultimately affect your overall health," Li Xiang said.
Therefore, experts believe that once teeth are missing, it is best to see a dental department to repair them in time.
There are three main methods of repairing missing teeth
Nowadays, there are many ways to repair teeth. Chen Yanbin, an attending physician at the Department of Stomatology, East Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, said that currently, there are three main methods of repairing missing teeth:
1, fixed restoration Dentists call it a fixed bridge, and most people call it porcelain teeth.
2, removable restorations are divided into two categories: removable partial dentures and complete dentures .
3. Implant restoration is to implant metal implant posts or bioceramic posts in the alveolar bone through appropriate surgery to simulate the function of tooth roots, and then put dental crowns on the implant posts.
As for which repair method is the best? Li Xiang pointed out that each of the three repair methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Clinically, doctors will choose the most appropriate repair method based on the patient's condition, requirements, financial status and other factors.
Chen Yanbin said that if economic reasons are not taken into consideration, and the physical conditions permit, the best way to repair missing teeth is dental implants repair. The teeth implanted in this repair method are fixed teeth, and the maintenance effect is relatively good. It's long-lasting and won't wear down other teeth. Of course, you can also choose bridge repair or removable repair. Bridge repair will grind down the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth and damage other teeth. There are also some troubles in removing, wearing and cleaning the removable repair.
How to best repair a full mouth of missing teeth
In clinical practice, doctors often encounter patients with full missing teeth. Aunt Chen, 65, lost her last tooth this year."I started losing my teeth when I was 30 years old, and now I have no teeth at all." Aunt Chen's daughter wants to implant teeth for her mother. So, is it difficult to implant teeth in this situation? Li Xiang said, "We often encounter some elderly people who have missing teeth and do not repair them for a long time, resulting in a complete mouth without teeth. Over time, the height and width of the alveolar bone are not enough, which increases the difficulty of dental implants."
In addition, Li Xiang also pointed out that if a whole mouth of teeth is missing, it does not mean that as many teeth are missing as possible. It needs to be designed to determine which position is more suitable for dental implants. According to reports, currently in clinical practice, with the support of accurate and predictable digital technology, the full-mouth edentulous fixed restoration technology supported by 4-6 implants has solved the problem of full-mouth missing teeth. (For more news and information, please follow Yangcheng Pai pai.ycwb.com)
Source | Yangcheng Evening News·Yangcheng Pai
Editor | Chen Liang
