Health Do you have advanced prostate cancer? To learn more about new treatments available nowhere else, call the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. 'e have developed a special program for men with advanced prostate cancer that offers: ■ expert medical oncologists, urologists and radiation oncologists ■ supportive care aimed at symptom relief and improved quality of life For free and confidential information, call the U-M Cancer AnswerLine nurses at: 1-800-865-1125 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday 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 Call The Sales Department (248) 354-7123 Ext. 209 11/14 1997 4 Advertise in our Entertainment Section! 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,"