Lois Harris likes to know what’s going on inside of her
mouth, especially since she has worn dentures for years.
“It’s important when you have any kind of appliance to
periodically have your mouth checked to make sure everything is okay.”
Lois also likes to have all the information necessary to
make an informed decision. When she needed a new dentist in the DeLand area,
this retiree did her due diligence first.
“When you have a lot of dental work done through the years
as I have, you are aware of many things to watch out for in looking for a
dentist.
“I saw that Dr. Patel specialized in implants and that was
just what I wanted,” shares Lois. Also, his education and patient-care
philosophy made quite an impression on her.
A board-certified general dentist specializing in implant
dentistry and conscious sedation, Rajiv Patel, BDS, MDS, emphasizes that his
skill and training in implant placement, bone and soft tissue grafting, and
restoration of teeth with crowns, bridges, and partial and complete dentures
make it possible for nearly all who are missing their natural teeth to qualify
for dental restoration. Most recently, Dr. Patel became a Diplomate of the
American Board of Oral Implantologists, making him a professional in the entire
dental implant process.
This dentist also believes in the importance of taking the
time to talk to his patients to learn what their dental needs and goals are and
to inform them about every aspect of the process before any work begins.
“Lois’s main desire was that she wanted to maintain the
ability to keep eating nuts as long as she could because of their health
benefits,” explains Dr. Patel. “However, when a person loses their natural
teeth and replaces them with a denture, the biting force reduces to fifteen
percent of what natural teeth can take.
“Our goal was to make sure she could eat well and stay
healthy.”
Advanced technology to the rescue
To help Dr. Patel determine what dental procedures would
best help Lois preserve the ability to eat nuts and other healthy foods, he
used a three-dimensional imaging device called a
cone beam CT scanner
. It uses special software that provides Dr.
Patel with three-dimensional images featuring unprecedented detail.
“This software allows us to see the entire mouth. We can
then plan the whole treatment in advance and also see how it’s going to look at
the final stage.”
Lois feels fortunate that the dentist has the advanced technology.
“It was a good thing because the doctor saw that my lower
jawbone was decreasing and the nerve was coming closer to the surface.”
The nerve Lois refers to is the mandibular nerve, which
supplies sensation to the lower lip, chin, jaw, and teeth.
“If one loses enough jawbone, that nerve will become
pinched and cause pain in the mouth and tingling and numbness in the lips,”
reports Dr. Patel. “Lois was to the point that if we didn’t intervene, she
would begin to experience those symptoms very soon.”
Following the results of the CT scan, Dr. Patel explained
treatment options to Lois in great detail.
“Dr. Patel shows you as much as you want to know,” offers
Lois. “If a patient is interested in knowing everything that’s going on, like I
do, he will go into great technical, in-depth discussions as deep as the person
wants.
“I went in quite deep.”
Together, Dr. Patel and Lois came up with a treatment plan
to regain her biting force as well as prevent future bone loss and the nerve
problems.
The first step involved placing four implants into her
upper arch to better support her upper denture.
“This is called an
implant-supported
overdenture
,” explains Dr. Patel. “It contains four locator attachments
that are very low profile that the denture snaps onto.”
According to the dentist, because the implant-supported
denture snaps into place, it can be removed for cleaning. It also does not rest
on the gums like conventional dentures nor does it have a plastic sheet
covering the palate (roof of the mouth).
“By eliminating the palate portion of the upper denture,
patients can talk more naturally,” reports Dr. Patel. “Also, they feel the food
in their mouth and their taste sensation improves.”
Next, the dentist used both existing implants and new
implants in Lois’s lower jaw to place a bar-retained denture.
“Because her mandibular nerve was so superficial, we had
to fabricate a bar onto four implants,” recalls Dr. Patel. “The denture then
snaps onto the bar. In doing so, it does not put any pressure onto the soft
tissue or the nerve.”
To keep Lois comfortable and pain free during the more
time-intensive implant procedures, Dr. Patel administered an IV sedation
technique called
conscious sedation
or
twilight sleep
.
“This is a wonderful option for patients who can’t
tolerate any pain or who are fearful of dental work,” shares Dr. Patel.
“Deland Implant Dentistry has all the necessary equipment
for a safe anesthetic procedure,” notes Lois.
Feels so natural
Lois reports that, thanks to her new implants and modified
dentures, she has been able to eat much better than before and no longer has to
avoid eating certain foods.
“I have enough biting force to go ahead and eat hard foods
like raw vegetables. They’re no longer a problem for me.
“The net result is I feel like I have gone back to having
my own teeth.”
To keep her implants at optimal function, Lois maintains a
regular cleaning schedule.
“I clean my gums and implants with an electric toothbrush,
just as I would if they were natural teeth, to make sure I don’t build up
pockets or have inflammation.”
She also visits Dr. Patel every six months for checkups.
“He checks to see if there are any areas of irritation. He
also checks my bite to make sure I haven’t gone out of alignment. To make sure
the wheels haven’t gone off the track.”
Overall, Lois is very pleased with everything that Dr.
Patel has done for her.
“He is top-notch. I highly recommend him.”
His office staff also receives high praise.
“Everyone is very personable, very friendly. In fact, the
whole office has a very warm, family approach.”
FHCN - Lynn York