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Dr. Novetsky: Major improvements in a decade.
Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Michigan
Health System
fittp://www.cancer.med.umich.edu
Michael H. Freedland, M.D.
Specializing in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
• Cosmetic Surgery of the Face and Body
• Facial & Skull Bone Reconstruction
• Liposuction
• Laser Surgery
Ronald P. Morris, D.D.S.
Specializing in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• Dental Implants
• Facial Bone Reconstruction
• Wisdom Tooth Removal
Dawn Poisson, Licensed Esthetician
• Skin Rejuvenation Program
• BIOMEDIC® Micro Peels
• Deep Chemical Peels
• Make-up Consultation
(800) 728-6618
Downriver Surgery Center
1823 Fort Street, Wyandotte
Somerset Medical Group
3290 W. Big Beaver, Troy
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Friends even compliment me about
how good I look. People who have
their own teeth don't realize how
lucky they are."
Dr. Novetsky tells his patients to
think of a dental implant as a
replacement for a tooth's root. Under
a local anesthesia, tiny holes are
drilled in the jawbone and the
implants (small titanium screws) are
inserted into the holes. The site is
covered with a cap to prevent gum
tissue from closing off the implant
and the gums are sutured.
If a single tooth is being replaced,
only one implant is needed. Larger
gaps may require 4-6 or more.
As the patient heals, the bone at
each site fuses with the implant,
making a tight, sturdy seal so that the
implant can serve as an anchor for a
false tooth or a set of false teeth. This
stage may take 3-6 months in which
the implants are left undisturbed.
When healing is complete, a small
portion of the gum tissue that cov-
ered the implant is removed to
expose the implant. An abutment
which joins the implant and the pros-
thesis or restored tooth is then twist-
ed into the implant. Following a few
weeks of healing from this process,
the work of fitting and attaching the
replacement teeth begins.
Anyone in reasonable health who
wants to replace missing teeth is a
good candidate for implantation pro-
viding there's enough bone in the
area of the missing teeth to anchor
the implants. Fortunately there are
options for patients who don't have
enough bone. This can happen when
loss of teeth over time results in jaw
bone shrinkage.
One option is grafting bone from
other parts of the body, including
from other parts of the mouth. The
second option is bone augmentation,
in which a synthetic bone substitute
is inserted on top of the bone to help
rebuild the jaw bone which supports
the implants.
"The procedure for bone augmen-
tation takes from 30 minutes to two
hours," says Dr. William Luckas,
DDS. "First, an incision is made in
the gum and then the gum tissue is
lifted off the bone to make room for
the bone augmentation particles
which are injected into the space
Find An Expert
"For people who have their own
teeth, the best option is good oral
hygiene and regular visits to your
dentist," says Dr. Arthur Friedman,
DDS.
`‘With good care, people can keep
their own teeth into their 80s and
90s, If a patient does need dental
implants, however, I refer them to a
dentist who is doing these implants
all the time
"Many dentists with a general
practice like myself are trained to do
implants, but we do a few here and
there. The experts are the ones who
do a lot of implants on a very regu-
lar basis,"