Posts Tagged ‘Dr Bodak’

Missing Teeth

Many adults have missing permanent teeth that have been lost due to injury, disease or decay. Not only do missing teeth make you look older than you are, they can also be detrimental to both your health and well-being. If you have teeth that are missing, replacing them can dramatically improve your appearance by improving your smile. This will also improve how you feel about yourself.

Collapse of bite due to bone resorption

In our grandparents’ day, there was often little opportunity for quality dental care. As a result, people expected to lose at least some of their teeth by their mid-adult years. As they began to lose teeth, their faces started to age prematurely. Losing a permanent tooth is similar to losing other parts of your body. Would you be content to lose a finger, even though you had nine others? Of course not. You could still use your hand, but you know that your hand works best when no parts are missing. Your mouth and jaw also function best when you have all 28 permanent adult teeth. Many people have lost all four wisdom teeth without any loss of function, but the other 28 adult teeth are a different story.

Each tooth functions both individually and also as part of your bite. When you lose a tooth, there is an empty space or gap left behind that affects each of the opposing teeth. If one or more missing permanent adult teeth are not replaced, the spaces or gaps will cause your remaining teeth to shift to a new spot. As these teeth shift, your bite will be disturbed and you may develop TMJ (temporomandibular joint) symptoms with jaw clicking or soreness. The gaps also become the perfect place for food to become trapped, which increases your risk of gum disease and tooth decay. If you lose enough teeth, you will also be unable to chew your food effectively.

Avoid future TMJ problems and collapse of your bite. Replacing missing teeth promptly can help prevent movement of your remaining teeth and can help preserve your bite. When a tooth is lost, the supporting bone in the jaw begins to dissolve. This is known as bone resorption. Bone resorption is an ongoing, continual and permanent process; it never stops throughout your lifetime until you replace the missing tooth. The longer the tooth is missing, the more bone is lost to resorption. This makes it more difficult to do dental restoration to replace the missing teeth.

If you have dentures, you are already experiencing ongoing bone loss and premature facial aging, as you lose more and more of your bone from your  jaw . Your profile and facial appearance starts to age more rapidly.  Loose dentures accelerate the rate of bone loss even more. Even if one or more teeth were lost long ago, replacing them with dental implants now can stabilize your bite and bone tissue, reduce TMJ stress, improve your ability to eat a variety of foods and enhance your smile and facial appaearance.

So replacing a tooth as soon as possible after it is lost is key to maintaining proper oral health and maintaining your facial proportions. Restoring missing teeth will reduce the shifting of teeth due to gaps and will also help prevent bone loss.

Your oral health and dental care is important to me.

Dr. L. Z. Bodak-G
Media PA Dentist

Missing Molar Tooth

Do you have a missing tooth? Are you looking for an expert Delaware County dentist? Dental implants are a permanent solution for your missing teeth.

After Dental Implants

Missing teeth cause movement of your remaining teeth and bone loss, giving your face a prematurely aged appearance. Many patients develop jaw pain, headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfuntion and misalignment of their teeth and jaw. With a dental implant, I can replace a missing tooth, restoring the youthful contour of your mouth. AND I can do this for the same fee as a porcelain bridge. The implant is placed under local anesthesia. And with an implant, I do not have to cap or crown the neighboring teeth to attach a bridge. My implant tooth looks, feels and functions like your natural tooth, except … it will never decay!

I use the Bicon coated-titanium bacterially-sealed implant, which comes in a wide range of sizes,to replace the natural tooth root. For properly selected patients, Bicon implants have a 98% success rate. The Bicon sloping shoulder design and availability of short or narrow implant sizes may prevent the need for bone replacement, sinus lift and other costly procedures that may be required with other implant systems.

Call Media PA Dentist at 610 565-2868 for your COMPLIMENTARY APPOINTMENT to learn whether you may be a candidate for Bicon Dental Implants.

Broken Tooth

We all try to be careful, but accidents happen! Breaking a tooth can seem like a disaster, but we were able to repair this tooth painlessly. With cosmetic bonding, I can create a restored tooth the very same day, in just one hour.

Broken Tooth Repaired

The remaining tooth is prepared, and the bonding material is sculpted, color matched and artfully blended with the natural tooth,completing the final restoration.

If you have a dental emergency, call us at 610 565-2868. Our phones are answered every day. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!

You may think braces are for teenagers, not for an adult in his or her 20’s, 40’s, or 60’s. But haven’t you always wished your teeth were a little straighter, or less crowded, or that annoying space had finally disappeared? Here are some facts to consider before you visit your dentist.

Many adult dental patients with misaligned teeth would like a more pleasing smile, but traditional orthodontic treatment, including braces with brackets, wires, springs and rubber bands, is not practical or socially acceptable for most of us.

Reason #1 Misalligned Teeth Can Cause Health Problems
Misaligned teeth can cause more than a self-conscious smile. Crooked teeth may be associated with difficulty chewing and problems such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. TMJ disorder, which can cause a clicking sensation when the jaw opens or closes, can lead to jaw pain, headaches, or tinnitus, a noisy sensation in the ear.

Reason #2 Misalligned Teeth Can Lead to Gum (Periodontal) Disease
Proper brushing of the teeth removes biofilm (plaque), the sticky layer of bacteria on the teeth that leads to tooth decay, toothache, tartar buildup, gum disease and bad breath. With misaligned teeth, brushing is less efficient in removing biofilm, so it is easier for periodontal gum disease to develop. And it is gum disease, not tooth decay, that is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults.

Reason #3 Clear Braces Are Convenient and Affordable
Clear plastic aligners are nearly invisible orthodontic appliances that can be worn at work or out in public. The wearer is able to speak on the telephone clearly, and can easily remove them to eat or brush their teeth. The cost is often much less than traditional braces; many patients are surprised to learn how truly affordable this treatment can be.

Reason #4 Clear Braces Are Customized Just For You
The treatment is completely customized, and proceeds at the patient’s own pace. Each aligner is worn for several weeks while one or more teeth are moved a fraction of a millimeter. Over time, the teeth gradually move into their optimal position.

Reason #5 Clear Braces Improve Your Smile and Facial Proportions
Successful treatment with clear plastic aligners for adults can correct crowded misaligned teeth, and eliminate gaps between teeth. The gradual movement of your teeth to their optimal position will enhance your smile, improve the function and health of your gums, teeth and jaw, and achieve a more pleasing balance of facial proportion. And who would not want that?

Patient “E” Before, Age 57 years

Patient “E” After clear braces & whitening