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Dental Implant



 
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Pete G
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Joined: 18 Sep 2008
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:04 am    Post subject: Dental Implant Reply with quote

I would like info from players that have had a dental implant on bottom front teeth. I have developed a loose tooth due to bone degeneration from old age and years of anchoring the mouthpiece at that position. A tooth implant remains a possibility for dealing with this situation. A big question remains ---will I be able to keep the same chop placement and use such an implant without damaging the life of the implant? Thanks, Pete
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oldenick
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Joined: 17 Oct 2007
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Location: Naugatuck CT

PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have an implant in my top front position. The implant is great, the most solid tooth I have. The big issue is the time it takes for the implant to fuse with the bone in your jaw. My dentist was able to build me a fake tooth that could hold up to the pressure of the trumpet. It was an uncomfortable year and it took some time to adjust to the implant when it was finally done, but no major change to my embouchure. It has been 20 years with no problems.

Good Luck
Nick
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

While I don't yet have an implant my dentist and I have already had the discussion cause I'm likely to need one in the not too distant future. It's his opinion that the force applied by a mouthpiece is a small fraction of the force developed biting down. My stongest recommendation would be to find a denstist who has some understanding of brass players. Also be sure to get a detailed casting done so your existing tooth placement can be reproduced.
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Pete G
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the personal insights, guys. My dentist wants me to consider an implant as one of several options that may be available to me, so your experiences are most useful. Later, Pete
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's my teacher's expert opinion that an implant is the very best choice when it comes to replacing a missing tooth. He warned me that many of the other bridge options could substantially alter and/or impair my ability to play. That said, I see from posts here that many people do succeed in playing with a bridge on their front teeth.
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laurie
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the same issue with a loose bottom front tooth. I opted for a Kevlar splint, placed across the rear of the bottom 3 front teeth,rather than an implant. This was mainly due to the cost, along with the period of time needed to bed a new tooth in.
The splint has worked reasonably well. I am concious of it being there(can feel it with my tounge) and I have had to change my approach to playing,but at least I am still playing.
Laurie
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skootchy
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a bridge up top and I don't notice any difference. I forget that it is there except when I try to run dental floss inbetween them first thing in the morning while I am half awake. lol. Just make sure he gets those impressions done so it is an exact match. My old trumpet teacher had false teeth. Tops and bottoms. He said it was the best thing that happened to his trumpet playing as it forced him to play correctly. I'll take his word for it.
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a tooth implant, although it is a molar so it has no effect on playing trumpet. Based on the experience of having that implant, however, I can't imagine that one in a frontal position would have any inherent negative impact on trumpet playing assuming that the transplant is done correctly and the bone into which it is anchored is adequate.

The anchor is essentially a titanium bolt that is anchored (screwed) into the jawbone and it is scary big (the procedure to install it is painless, however). The artificial tooth is bolted onto that anchor and doesn't move or flex. It would take big time force to break the tooth off and, if it broke off, it could easily be replaced. Dislodging the anchor would probably require that the jawbone be fractured.

The greatest drawback to having an implant is that it takes 6 months or so for the jawbone to heal around the point where the anchor is screwed in. You can't have the artificial tooth bolted to the implant until the jawbone has healed and the anchor is solidly secured. So, you have to do without a tooth for awhile. With a bridge you can have a tooth right away but a bridge doesn't come even close to having the strength of a completed implant.

My suggestion is to have the implant. It is the best long term solution.
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Pete G
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laurie, I have had a splint to stabilize this tooth for over 4 years with great success. But, with time, the ligaments that bind the tooth to the jaw bone foundation have degenerated and now I am confronted with choosing the next solution to this problem. I am happy to learn that others, like you, have had good experiences with splints, but it appears that "aging" events take over. Later, Pete
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Yammie
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:54 am    Post subject: Secondhand advice Reply with quote

I have a good friend (a very talented pro player now in the Boston area) who had an implant done, and his problems were largely related to the fact one of his top front teeth (which had nerve damage years before and was slightly discolored) suddenly fell out and shattered on the floor.

Because it was destroyed, he didn't have a model for the final permanent implant to be patterned after. He had a temporary put in place, and did a LOT of keyboard playing the first year while he waited for the implant to be strong enough. That was a huge problem, and they were forced to go by photos and start oversize, fine tuning it week by week. He would be at the dentist's office every couple of weeks with his horn. Take a little more off the bottom. OK, let me go test it. The good news is that after many, many months of fine-tuning, he's playing stronger than ever.

As I understand it, the implant is screwed into bone and it takes roughly a year for that implant to grow fully into place in the bone and the juncture to attain its full strength. That may be more relevant for a top front tooth since it takes the brunt of the pressure in most embouchures.

From his experience, I learned that trumpet players really need to have a cast taken of their teeth, top and bottom, every few years. In case of trauma or a problem like my friend faced, having the shape of your teeth and the registration between the upper and lowers available in 3D form for your dentist can save years of rebuilding and relearning.

If it were me, my questions for the dentist would center around what can I do while we wait for the implant to fully seat, and is there some form of bridgework or bracing to add support in the interim?

Best of luck to you. We all feel your pain - there is a shared insanity here in that we all depend on a quarter sized piece of meat to define some part of our emotional well being!
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laurie
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck with the implant. I expect that sometime in the future I will need to do the same thing, the splint isnt going to do the job forever and like you, the deteriration is ongoing.
I dabble with alto sax, so I figure if it all turns to sh*# with the teeth, I can still play something!
Laurie
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Pete G
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Continuing thanks for all your thoughts on implants and chops. I am meeting with a maxofacial surgeon this week to determine the route to go with an implant replacement. My patience in allowing substantial time for the bone to anneal to the implant may be quickly tested. I am planning to address this frustration. I have had a splint that stabilized the loose (and now failed) tooth that did very well--hence the thought that maybe the temporary cap that is placed on the titanium implant can be splined to neighbors for extra support during the 6-12 month healing period to allow some opportunity to play. Later, Pete
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doclev
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Joined: 27 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If, as you say, your lower anterior tooth is loose because of bone depreciation, an implant may not be possible. The implant fixture requires adequate bone to support it, not unlike the bone necessary for the tooth. The implant works well where a tooth is extracted, bone fills in the space, and the fixture is placed in the new bone. If there is no bone, there is nothing to place the fixture in.
You might talk to your dentist about a standard fixed bridge, which can be shaped like your original teeth. Replacing small lower anterior teeth is always a problem, but not insoluble. Good luck.
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John Mohan
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: Dental Implant Reply with quote

Pete G wrote:
I would like info from players that have had a dental implant on bottom front teeth. I have developed a loose tooth due to bone degeneration from old age and years of anchoring the mouthpiece at that position. A tooth implant remains a possibility for dealing with this situation. A big question remains ---will I be able to keep the same chop placement and use such an implant without damaging the life of the implant? Thanks, Pete


Be sure to have an cast impression made of your top and bottom teeth before getting any work done. This way, the dentist should be able to emulate your tooth's shape and its angle relative to the rest of your teeth.

Actually, ALL brass and woodwind players should have this done as insurance against a catastrophe. It'd be bad enough if you are in an accident and have to have your teeth replaced - it would be unimaginable if the replacement teeth were nothing like the originals at all.

Best wishes,

John Mohan
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