tooth loss Archives - Ryan Perry, DDS

I had two upper right teeth extracted last year. I got a partial denture to fill in the gaps. In January, my dentist scheduled my deep cleaning every four months instead of every six months, as we did for the past two years. Last week, I lost two more teeth. I’m unsure what deep cleaning should do, but I thought it would help stop tooth loss. I don’t want a mouth full of partial dentures. I live on a fixed income. What are my alternatives for stopping tooth loss? – Thanks. Lamar from TN

Lamar,

Recurring tooth loss often indicates an underlying condition, such as advanced periodontal disease (gum disease). It’s important to note that conventional removable partial dentures can exert additional stress on remaining teeth, potentially leading to further tooth loss.

Dental implants may be ideal if you still have a few teeth on the left side of your mouth. However, they are a significant investment, typically costing over $3,000 per dental implant.

Another possibility is a Cu-Sil partial denture, which resembles a complete denture but has silicone-lined holes that fit over existing teeth. This design offers enhanced stability compared to traditional partial dentures and allows for easy additions of artificial teeth as needed.

We recommend consulting a periodontist (gum disease specialist) to assess your oral health and discuss treatment to help you control gum disease. Afterward, look for a dentist experienced in tooth replacement options to explain affordable solutions.

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Please read about how he strives to provide his patients with the best care possible.

I’m writing you because my mother has gingivitis and I believe it stems from periodontitis. Over a week ago, she felt extreme tooth pain at the back of her mouth. Twenty-four hours later, she began to suffer from a fever and body aches.

My mother visited her dentist and was told that part of the bone at the back of her mouth has been eaten away. Luckily for her, it was caught early and she didn’t lose her molar. The dentist removed the bacteria, applied oral medicine, prescribed antibiotics, cleaned her mouth and told her to make another appointment for scaling.

Is this is a severe case of periodontitis and has the bone loss been stopped? Also, with the fever and other issues, will this affect her body systems like her heart, etc? I read periodontal disease may cause many health issues. What can be done now?

– Theresa from Louisiana

Theresa,
To answer your question, periodontal disease stems from gingivitis left untreated over a period of time. To educate you a little further, gingivitis happens when the gums bleed easily, become tender, red and swollen. Gingivitis occurs when people lack in their brushing and flossing techniques. If people don’t attend to regular brushing, flossing and cleanings, periodontal disease (gum disease) will happen. Periodontal disease if left untreated, leads to tooth loss.

Your mother’s dentist cleaned around one tooth that was painful but also recommended that your mother get scaling done as well.

Root planing and scaling is recommended to remove debris and bacteria from under the gums on the teeth surfaces in order to prevent the disease from destroying bone around the teeth. Infection must be removed or tooth loss will happen. Without dental x-rays, a clinical exam, and measuring depths of the pockets, it’s a challenge to determine how severe your mother’s periodontal disease is.

If periodontal disease is left untreated, tooth loss may occur and this disease may cause fever as well as affect the heart, diabetes, lung and respiratory system.

We recommend that you speak to your mother’s dentist to determine the severity of the disease and treat it properly to prevent dental and health issues from occurring.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry

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