What if my parents need to have multiple teeth extracted? <Dental implant bridge case>

Hello.

I am Dr. Lee Chang-min, the representative director of Guardians Dental Myeongdong, a specialist in periodontics who has been practicing at the same location for 20 years.

Do all teeth that need to be extracted have to be implanted? My parents are old, and I'm worried they won't be able to withstand long treatments

This is a common question asked by children who visit with their parents who have weakened gums.

If periodontal disease progresses for a long time, teeth become loose one by one, and it becomes uncomfortable to chew food.

Some people tolerate loose front teeth or start losing them, thinking "it's natural as you get older."

However, when they are told that multiple teeth need to be extracted, it is often the children who are more surprised than the patients.

So, today, I will explain the process of implant bridge treatment after multiple tooth extractions for patients who had difficulty maintaining multiple teeth due to periodontal disease, along with actual cases.

Is it necessary to extract all remaining teeth?

When the patient first visited, several teeth were already missing, and there was a lot of tartar and gum inflammation around the remaining teeth.

There were areas where the gums had receded, exposing the tooth roots, and the X-ray also showed that the gum bone that holds the teeth had decreased overall.

In such cases, children usually ask the following question.

Can't we leave teeth that can be used a little longer?

I also try to find ways to save natural teeth if possible.

However, if the gum bone that supports the teeth has decreased significantly and the inflammation has progressed to the deep roots,

leaving the teeth behind can cause them to continue to loosen or have a negative impact on the surrounding gum bone.

We don't decide to extract teeth just because they are loose.

We distinguish between teeth that need to be maintained and those that need to be extracted after checking the amount of remaining gum bone, the degree of inflammation, movement, and the possibility of withstanding chewing force after treatment for each tooth.

When receiving an implant consultation at Gwanghwamun Station Dental Clinic, it's also important to check if there are teeth that can be maintained among the remaining natural teeth before deciding on the number of implants.

Multiple Tooth Loss, How to Determine the Location and Number of Implants?

Even if multiple teeth are extracted, it doesn't mean that the same number of implants must be inserted.

We can consider a method where implants are divided and installed in the remaining gum bone, and then multiple teeth are connected with an implant bridge to restore them.

At this time, what's important is not just the number of implants, but their location and distribution of force.

We need to check if the implant can stably distribute the chewing force, if the patient can manage the completed prosthesis underneath, and if the upper and lower teeth can bite together smoothly.

For those who have had gum disease for a long time, post-treatment management is as important as implant insertion.

If the patient has inconvenient hands or is not used to interdental brushes, we need to plan the shape and interval of the prosthesis, considering the actual manageability.

How to Eat During the Implant Treatment Period at Myeongdong Station?

One of the concerns for parents and children who are about to undergo implant treatment at Myeongdong Station is eating during the treatment period.

"What do you eat while the teeth are being treated?"

When treating multiple implants, we proceed step by step, from extraction and implant insertion to gum bone recovery, temporary teeth adjustment, and final prosthesis production.

We checked the recovery status of each area and continued the treatment, and during the use of temporary prosthesis, we repeatedly checked the following:

---

if there's any discomfort or pain when chewing, if the length and shape of the front teeth suit the face, if there's any discomfort when speaking or closing the lips, if the force is concentrated on a specific implant, if the patient can manage the prosthesis underneath

---

Temporary teeth are not just devices to cover the empty space.

It's also a process to reflect the results of the patient's actual use in the final prosthesis.

Myeongdong Station Implant Treatment Results

Before the treatment, multiple teeth were missing, and the remaining teeth were loose, making it difficult to cut food with the front teeth or chew with the molars.

After the treatment, we connected the broken teeth with an implant bridge and adjusted the occlusion so that the upper and lower teeth could bite together stably.

However, just because the prosthesis is complete doesn't mean the treatment is over.

If the patient had periodontal disease, inflammation can occur around the implant, so we need to regularly check the gum and occlusion around the implant through check-ups and scaling.

It's also helpful for children to occasionally check their parents' toothbrushing and interdental brush use to manage the implant.

---

Parents' implants are more about overall planning than surgery

If your parents' teeth are loose, you may worry about the treatment cost, surgical burden, and treatment period together.

In such cases, instead of just deciding on the number of implants,

we need to check the following first.

Implant treatment is not just about inserting an implant into the empty space.

We need to consider whether the remaining natural teeth can be maintained,

where to place the implant so that the chewing force is evenly distributed, and whether the patient can manage the completed prosthesis, all together.

In Conclusion

I am a dentist certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and an American board-certified periodontist who has focused on treating gums and bones and dental implant treatment in domestic and foreign periodontal training courses.

Based on this experience, I prioritize creating a state where parents can eat and manage their teeth by leaving as many natural teeth as possible and placing dental implants in necessary positions, rather than planning to insert many dental implants.

Even if your parents' teeth are not in good condition, it's not necessary to give up all their teeth from the start.

We will start by distinguishing between teeth that can be maintained and teeth that require treatment.

---

If you are searching for Gwanghwamun Station dental clinic implants to find treatment for your parents, please check if you are considering not only the number and cost of dental implants, but also carefully examining the current condition of their gums and natural teeth, and considering post-treatment management.

• From Dr. Lee Chang-min - ▼ Guardians Dental Myeongdong preview ▼

▼ Inquiry about questions ▼

NAutomatically translated from the Korean post on our Naver blog. Read the original ↗