Antibiotic Guidelines In Dentistry

For many patients taking a precautionary dosage of antibiotics prior to dental work is considered routine. Those with joint replacement, certain heart diseases, or evencongenital heart defects have been instructed to do so in the past. New findings have caused  The American Heart Association to redefine the guidelines to account for new research information.

American Heart Association Findings

The American Heart Association recommends that only patients who have the greatest risk of a bad outcome from infective endocarditis (IE) should receive short-term preventive antibiotics before routine dental procedures. Infective endocarditis is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or the heart valves, which results when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. This can occur during routine dental procedures like a teeth cleaning.

These new guidelines now remove certain conditions from the list that have been there in the past. The following list shows the conditions that no longer need to be premedicated with antibiotics:

-Mitral valve prolapse

-Rheumatic heart disease

-Bicuspid valve disease

-Calcified aortic stenosis

-Congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Antibiotics Risk

These new guidelines are based on scientific evidence that shows the risks from taking preventive antibiotics outweigh the benefits received for most patients. The risks can include allergic reactions to antibiotics, stomach discomfort, yeast infection, or the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The research also showed that infective endocarditis is far more likely to occur from everyday activities than from any dental procedures. Daily activities like brushing and flossing can expose bacteria from the mouth into the bloodstream just as easily as a dental procedure. The American Heart Association emphasized that patients should maintain good oral hygienemaintenance to reduce the risk of developing infective endocarditis.

Disease Conditions That Still Require Antibiotics

Some condition still require antibiotic premedication and these include:

-Patients with artificial heart valves.

-Previous history of having had infectious endocarditis.

-Presence of a congenital (born with) heart conditions.

-Heart transplant patients who develop issues with a heart valve.

The patients with conditions listed above would be at greatest risk of very bad outcomes if they were to develop infectious endocarditis. This is why the American Heart Association recommends antibiotic premedication for these patients. The benefits outweigh the risks for the groups listed above.

Conclusion

Patients should always ask their physician or cardiologist first, to assess their possible need for antibiotic premedication. You should also ask your dentist if you have any questions regarding antibiotic premedication. It is important that this is to be an informed decision between patient and provider, and done on an individual basis. The guidelines are just that, general guidelines, both you and your doctor will decide what is best for you.

Patients also need to be aware that overuse of antibiotics is not a good thing either. Overuse of antibiotics has led to an increase in the number of bacteria now resistant to antibiotics. When this occurs, new antibiotics must be developed to kill these new resistant bacteria. The new resistant bacteria are typically stronger and can cause more serious illnesses.

As always, maintain a good dental hygiene regimen and visit your dentist regularly for dental examinations and professional cleanings.

© 2013, Marielaina Perrone DDS. All rights reserved. Las Vegas Cosmetic Dentist

Las Vegas Dental Implants.......Las Vegas Dental Phobia

Dental Implants - The Permanent Solution For Tooth Loss

Dental Implants were not always such a mainstream fixture in dentistry. There was a time when dental implants were for all practical purposes experiments in seeing what worked and

Dental Implants for a Lifetime

what did not. In the last 15 years we have really entered a new age with dental implants being almost routine in their nature now. Most dentists cannot imagine a day without them anymore as a treatment for our patients.

Dental Implants are an artificial tooth root that a dentist, periodontist, or oral surgeon inserts into your jawbone to hold a replacement tooth or teeth(bridge). Dental implants are the perfect option for people with good oral health maintenance who are missing one tooth or multiple teeth due to periodontal disease, via trauma, or some other reason.

Dental Implants use the most modern materials that dentistry has to offer. Years and years of research have gone into the dental implants in use today. Dental implants are much more tooth friendly than traditional bridgework. Dental implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support nor do the neighboring teeth need to be prepared to be part of the bridgework.

With optimal conditions and in the hands of a skilled dentist, dental implants can look as natural as your own teeth. Only you and your dentist would ever know you even have one. This gives patients the utmost in self confidence giving them the ability to broadly smile as well as eat as they choose. People missing teeth are generally self conscious about their smile and appearance. Following successful placement and restoration, dental implant patients can expect them to last a lifetimeif they maintain good oral hygiene.

Dental Implants for a lifetime

Modern dental implants can play a few roles in tooth or teeth replacement. These include:

-Replacement of one or more teeth without affecting the neighboring teeth.

-Act as support for a bridge. This will eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.

-Provide support and stability for a denture. Attaching a denture over dental implants make the denture more secure and comfortable. This is also called an implant supported overdenture.

Dental Implants and their advantages over Traditional Dentistry

-Cosmetics. When done properly dental implants will look and feel like your own teeth. Another plus is that since dental implants are placed directly in bone they prevent bone loss and gingival recession that happens over time in areas where teeth are missing. No one but you and your dentist will ever know you have a dental implant.

-Dental Implants allow conservation of tooth structure. Dental implants allow the dentist to save your adjacent teeth from preparations. A traditional bridge requires the preparation of neighboring teeth. Utilizing dental implants is a long term benefit to the patients dental health by saving their natural tooth structure.

-Self Confidence. The wonder of dental implants is that they allow patients to talk and eat full of self confidence. Dental implants offer security and freedom.

Dental implants Diagram

-Highly Predictable. Dental implants have had a long track record of a very high success rate. Due to this they are an excellent option for tooth replacement.

Treatment

Any treatment for dental implants begins with a thorough examination to develop a proper treatment plan.  Without a good game plan the treatment will be doomed to fail.

As mentioned earlier, dental implants are ideal in the following situations:

-Single tooth replacement. Dental implants are an ideal option for patients with the quantity and quality of bone necessary to hold an implant. The dental implant will allow you to maintain the natural tooth structure of adjacent teeth while replacing a lost tooth.

-Multiple teeth replacement. Dental implants are also ideal in this situation. If you are missing several teeth, implant supported bridges can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.

-Replacing all your teeth. If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant supported full bridge or full denture (also called an implant overdenture) can replace them. This renders traditional dentures to the curb as dental implants used in this fashion will be more stable allowing patients to eat and talk as if they have their own natural teeth.

In some cases, patients will need help to allow for placement of dental implants. Luckily, modern dentistry has developed a few procedures to “help” patients along. These include:

-Sinus Augmentation.  Dental implants need a good quantity of bone along with good quality of that bone to succeed. The upper jaw is known to have poorer quantity and quality

Dental implants

bone structure as opposed to the lower jaw. The maxillary sinus also plays a role in increasing difficulty in this area. Sinus augmentation can remedy these issues by raising the sinus floor and placing bone grafts in the area to aid in dental implant placement.

-Ridge Modification. When the bone is not 100% adequate for dental implant placement, dentists are able to make it perfect by performing a dental bone graft. A bone graft is the placement of bone in the jaw to to build it up. This gives an excellent platform for dental implants. Ridge modification has been shown to improve both appearance and long term success of dental implants.

Expectations of patient

Following placement of implants and restoration with crowns or dentures, patients can expect a life long restoration that will be stable and cosmetic. Just because these products are man made does not mean oral hygiene should be forgotten and neglected. Dental hygiene must be maintained at a high level if the patient wants to ensure these restorations last. Follow up dental visits are required just as if you had your own natural teeth. If dental implants are well taken care of the patient should expect them to last a lifetime!

© 2012, Marielaina Perrone DDS. All rights reserved. Las Vegas Cosmetic Dentist......Henderson Cosmetic Dentist

All On 4 Dental Implants....Teeth In A Day!

Dental implants have changed the face of dentistry over the last 20 years. They have been nothing less than a miracle in the replacement of teeth whether it be a single tooth,

Teeth In A Day – All On 4 Dental Implants

multiple teeth, or as an anchor for a denture. As the technology matures, new advancements and techniques come into play. One of those newer techniques is called All On 4 Dental Implants. This technique allows for the placement of four dental implants (hence the name all on 4 dental implants), and the restoration to be placed on the same day. Patients leave the office with teeth. For this reason all on 4 dental implants are also called “new teeth in a day“.

Who Wants All On 4 Dental Implants?

The patients who choose all on four, do so for many reasons including, poor fitting existing dentures, terrible trauma causingtooth loss, decay or periodontal disease causing progressive tooth loss. The most common patients to choose all on four, are not denture wearers. They are patients who have been fighting an uphill battle for a while and know that they are losing their teeth. These individuals have been trying to hold on as long as possible because they do not want to have any time in their life without teeth, and the thought of a removable denture is not an option.

What are All On 4 Dental Implants

The All on 4 Dental Implants procedure was developed in the mid 1990′s. The all on 4 dental implants system has allowed for a variety of patients who, for various reasons, were not considered good candidates for traditional dental implants to now become candidates.

All On 4 Dental Implants for a New Smile!

The All on 4 Dental Implants procedure uses four dental implants per arch (upper or lower).  The dental implants in the back are placed on an angle to take maximum advantage of the existing bone structure. Special dental implants were developed that could support the immediate fitting of replacement teeth. This treatment is attractive to those with loose dentures or those in need of full upper and/or lower restorations. With the All-on-4 dental implants procedure, qualified patients receive just four dental implants and a full set of new upper or lower replacement teeth in just one appointment. This usually able to be done without dental bone grafts.  The real attraction to the all on 4 dental implants procedure is how quickly permanent dental implants can be placed. This allows patients the ability to leave the same day with a denture that is fixed in place and stabilized by the dental implants.

Traditionally, the  approach to restoring a full arch of teeth (either upper or lower) usually involved dental bone grafts, six or more dental implants, and as much as 18 months of treatment. In that time, the patient would be wearing an interim denture while the dental bone grafts and dental implants heal and integrate into the bone. This can be very expensive, time consuming, and uncomfortable for a patient to continuously go back for treatment.

What Appointments are Needed for All On 4 Dental Implants?

The All on 4 Dental Implants procedure consists of the following visits:

Initial Visit(s) – The initial visit(s) for the all on 4 dental implants procedure is necessary for the dentist to do a proper treatment plan for you. These visits will include gathering pertinent medical history, needed X-rays, dental impressions, photos, and a CAT Scan. The dentist will then be able to review all the information with the patient and develop the proper course of treatment.

Actual All On 4 Dental Implants Procedure Visit – At this visit the patient will undergo the procedure for placement of the 4 dental implants. Following placement of

All On 4 Dental Implants Can Transform Your Smile!

the dental implants, the dentist will place the denture in and the patient will leave in the afternoon with a beautiful set of fixed, functional teeth.

Follow-up Appointments - The patient will need to return to the dentist for occasional dental examinations over the next several days, weeks, and months to ensure comfort and fit. In about 6 months, the patient will return for a final set of dentures. The reason for the 6 month wait is to give the tissues in the mouth time to heal properly, correct anything the patient wishes to change, and to allow the implants to properly integrate into the bone.

Conclusion on All on 4 Dental Implants

More than 100 million people in the United States alone are missing between 11 and 15 of their permanent adult teeth. By the age of 60, almost 70% of these people are completely without teeth and in desperate need of complete oral rehabilitation. This is where the all on 4 dental implants procedure comes in and is able to restore people’s teeth and change their outlook on life.

© 2012, Marielaina Perrone DDS. All rights reserved. Henderson Cosmetic Dentist........Las Vegas Dental Phobia

Las Vegas Dental Implants..........Las Vegas Cosmetic Dentistry