Month: July 2021

Everything You Need to Know About Dental Flippers

Written by drdalesandro on July 22, 2021. Posted in Dental Flippers.

Dental Flipper

According to studies published in the National Library of Medicine, nearly 180 million Americans have at least one tooth missing, and more than 35 million are missing all their teeth.

Investing in a dental flipper can help you maintain a complete smile, no matter how many teeth you have missing. Dental flippers have become very popular among those who wish to replace missing teeth with a temporary tooth replacement solution until they can work out a more permanent solution.

So, what are dental flippers, and should you consider going with a dental flipper tooth over other tooth replacement options? Find out everything you need to know below.

What Are Dental Flippers?

Dental flippers, also called flipper teeth or partial dentures, are removable retainers designed to sit on either the roof of a patient’s mouth or lower jaw. They have at least one prosthetic tooth attached to them, and in some cases, they’ll even have multiple prosthetic teeth. A flipper tooth can fill in the gaps left behind by back or front teeth that have gone missing and restore a person’s smile.

A flipper tooth is constructed from an acrylic dental-grade resin that a dentist can make to match your gum’s colors. They also have metal clasps that can attach directly to the adjacent teeth surrounding the gaps created by a missing tooth or teeth. As long as you work with the right dental professional, they can ensure a tooth flipper fits properly in your mouth alongside your natural teeth.

What Are the Benefits of Flipper Teeth?

Whether you consider flipper teeth a temporary replacement or a long-term solution, you’ll appreciate all the benefits they can provide when you need a gap filled quickly. Here are several advantages of using removable partial dentures to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth:

It’s easy for a dental technician to fabricate them with the exact turnaround time often being just a day or two.
A partial denture is made to match your natural teeth and doesn’t give off the appearance of false teeth.
They can stop your existing teeth from shifting into the gaps that teeth adjacent to them create.

They’re also more affordable than most other teeth replacement options. In most cases, your dentist can provide them for under $500, which is much less than many flipper alternatives.

What Are the Drawbacks of Flipper Teeth?

Flipper teeth are a fantastic option for those in the market for removable partial dentures. However, there are some potential drawbacks to utilizing a flipper tooth for tooth replacement. Let’s check them out next:

They’re made of less durable materials than a dental implant, a dental bridge, and most other alternative options.
They can cause one tooth problem after another and gum disease if they aren’t cared for.
It can take time to get used to wearing them, as it can impact the way you chew food and speak.
They may loosen and require adjustments made by a dentist to stay secure.
You may deal with receding gums if you don’t remove them often enough.

Ideally, you should also avoid wearing flippers permanently, if possible. It’s a solid temporary tooth replacement solution, but a flipper denture isn’t designed to stand the test of time.

Is a Dental Flipper a Permanent Replacement for Missing Teeth or a Temporary Solution?

woman with dental equipment in mouth

Many people with teeth missing who use flipper teeth only do so temporarily. They’re an excellent solution for those in search of an attractive prosthetic tooth option that can be worn temporarily while they wait to get permanent dental implants. It isn’t uncommon for someone who has had a dentist perform a tooth extraction or a bone or tissue graft to wear a flipper partial denture before a permanent solution is put in place during the final restoration process.

However, not everyone who chooses to go with flipper teeth utilizes them to replace teeth temporarily. Since a single dental implant can cost at least a few thousand dollars on average, flipper teeth have become a more cost-effective solution for some people. They might even wear them for the foreseeable future instead of considering the alternatives.

Anyone who plans to use flipper dentures as a permanent replacement tooth option must invest in high-quality flipper teeth and care for them accordingly. Maintaining them involves making time to clean dental flippers with a toothbrush, warm water, and mild soap to prevent plaque and food particles from building up.

To keep a flipper tooth in great condition, you’ll also need to:

Steer clear of unnecessarily moving a dental flipper around your mouth to reduce the chances of breaking it.
Avoid eating sticky foods when wearing flipper teeth.
Store a dental flipper where it won’t dry out when you don’t have the dental appliance in your mouth.
Stay away from darker-colored foods and beverages that might stain a flipper tooth.
Remove a flipper tooth before going to bed to let your gums breathe.

Additionally, those wearing a flipper tooth must make their overall oral health a top priority. They should brush and floss their teeth every day and schedule regular dental check-ups with an oral healthcare provider, along with routine cleanings from dental professionals.

Common FAQs related to Flipper Tooth

What Is a Flipper Tooth Made Of?

The flipper tooth is made of acrylic dental-grade resin that matches the color of your gums. The structure has metal clasps that attach to the surrounding natural teeth on either side of the missing teeth. They can easily be removed at night and cleaned with toothpaste or soaked in the denture cleaning solution.

How Long Can You Wear a Dental Flipper?

Dental flippers are generally a temporary replacement for your missing tooth until your gums heal enough for your implant. After that, you can use them for a long term only when your dentist instructs you. However, some may prefer to wear it permanently due to its low cost and lightweight, not to mention that they are easy to adjust.

In the case of minors missing teeth, they wear dental flippers until they are old enough to get an implant.

In either case, you need to care for your dental flipper properly to prevent breakage or damage. Clean the flipper every day to remove the plaque and food particles. This helps protect the teeth and the gums as well.

Can I Sleep with a Flipper Tooth in My Mouth?

A flipper tooth is a temporary situation and should be treated as such. If worn day and night, they exert constant pressure on the tissues under the flipper.

As a consequence, patients could develop receding gums and bone deterioration as well. Wearing a dental flipper all day could also trigger a fungal infection in the gums. Since it is painless, the infection is known.

It is crucial to remove the flippers at night, allowing the gums to breathe. Hence dentists recommend removing them at night for at least 8 hours.

Can I Eat with a Flipper Tooth?

The best part of using a flipper tooth is that you can eat with them and chew much easier. However, you should not exert any pressure since it is very fragile.

Start with relatively soft foods; cut into small pieces and slowly chew them.
Take small bites of your food and chew food with both sides of your mouth simultaneously.
Avoid hard foods like raw vegetables until after the adjustment period.
Do not pull food from the fork using the front flipper tooth.

How Do You Talk with a Dental Flipper?

Like eating, talking can also be difficult with a flipper tooth. It can be hard at first, but you can adjust to talking with a flipper with training—for example, practice speaking in front of a mirror or with a partner. Or you can call customer service, and you’ll be able to measure how much others understand you. Be prepared to have your dental flipper flying in the beginning. It takes to some time and practice to get used to it.

How Many Teeth Can You Put on a Flipper?

A flipper typically holds one or more teeth and holds on to surrounding teeth for support. Keep in mind that they are temporary and acts as a filler for a gap in the tooth line.

How Do I Remove My Dental Flipper?

Rinse your mouth with warm water or mouth rinse to loosen the flipper tooth. To remove it from the jaw, hold the tooth and disengage the clasps.

Next, firmly grasp the dental flipper teeth and pull them out. You can also wiggle it slightly to dislodge it but avoid twisting for any reason.

What’s the Best Way to Clean Dental Flippers?

You can clean your flipper tooth with a soft-bristle toothbrush, warm water, and mild soap or dishwashing liquid. Rinse thoroughly after washing it before popping it in your mouth. Do not use toothpaste to clean your flipper as it can damage the material.

How Do You Store a Dental Flipper?

Ensure that your flipper tooth doesn’t dry out when you are not using it. Doing so makes them brittle and prone to breaking. Moreover, it would be uncomfortable to wear. Instead, keep them moist by soaking them in a denture cleaner or water when you remove them. With water, make sure it is not too hot as it can cause the material to warp.

What Are the Alternatives to a Flipper Tooth?

If you feel a dental flipper would work well in your specific case, you’re welcome to speak with your dentist about getting one made. They can provide personalized advice on whether or not partial dentures will do the trick for you.

A dentist might advise against using a flipper denture and recommend one of the following dental flipper alternatives:

Fixed partial dentures
Snap-On Smile®
Dental bridges
Dental implants

Contact Us To Learn More!

Deciding whether a dental flipper is the right option for replacing missing teeth can be difficult. Let the oral health experts from Dr. Dalesandro & Associates help you evaluate all your options and make the best decision. Reach out to us to discover more about the best solutions for replacing missing teeth.

How Common Is Periodontal Disease?

Written by drdalesandro on July 8, 2021. Posted in Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease, Periodontitis.

Periodontal disease affects about 20%-50% of the world’s population. And more predominantly among the older population in high-income countries. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease. It affects the gum tissue and bone supporting the teeth.

Sadly, this is a very common problem among adolescents and adults alike. Therefore, it must be treated with special care by a periodontist.

This article walks you through the prevalence of periodontal disease among different populations, symptoms, causes, and more.

Prevalence of Periodontal Disease in Adults in the United States

According to a recent CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) study, 47.2 % of U.S. adults have periodontitis, a more advanced form of periodontal disease. This means that 64.7 million Americans have periodontal disease. Half of those above 30 and above have severe periodontal disease. The same study states that prevalence rates increase to 70.1 percent among adults 65 years and older. These findings are based on the data collected as a part of the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

These findings suggest that more people have periodontal disease than previously thought. And there is a disparity among specific population groups. For example, at 56.4%, the disease is higher among men than women, 38.4%. In addition, the rate is highest among Mexican Americans at 66.7% when compared to other races. The other segments that see a high prevalence of periodontal disease include smokers, people living under the federal poverty level, and less education.

Is Periodontitis a Serious Disease?

Contrary to popular myth, periodontitis in adults is extremely common. It is a severe infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. If left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss and other health complications, including increasing one’s risk for oral cancer.

The bacteria causing periodontal disease can enter the bloodstream affecting other parts of the body. As the disease progresses, it can lead to rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory disease, heart disease, and diabetes.

Diagnosing Gum Disease

Firstly, periodontists rely on visual assessment to check the patient’s oral health. But, this visual method of diagnosing indicates only the presence of the disease. To assess the severity of periodontitis, you need to rely on more advanced diagnostic methods to determine Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) or Radiographic Bone Loss (RBL). The periodontist then measures the pocket depth with a periodontal probe. A depth of 4mm indicates the presence of periodontal disease. Pockets deeper than 5 mm may indicate severe periodontitis and cannot be cleaned well.

New tests offer genetic and biological information to better determine the appropriate treatment regimen for each patient.

Can You Reverse Gum Disease?

Periodontal disease is broken into four stages:

Gingivitis
Slight Periodontal Disease
Moderate Periodontal Disease
Advanced Periodontal Disease (Periodontitis)

Of these, gingivitis is the only stage that can be reversed as the bacteria has not yet had time to attack the bones. However, once a patient reaches stage 2, the infection has already spread to the bones, possibly destroying them. At this stage, the disease is only manageable and not preventable.

Hence, it is vital to catch periodontal diseases early before they move on to peridontitis.

At What Age Do Most People Get Gum Disease?

The chance of periodontal disease increases as you grow older. That is why it is most commonly seen in older adults. For example, clinical attachment loss was significantly higher among adults of ages 60 to 69 years when compared with those aged 40-50 years.

Due to the slow nature of the disease, it can even develop early in life and can go undetected until the patient is older. Unfortunately, by this time, a great deal of damage would have happened.

Causes and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition that affects the tissues and bones surrounding the teeth. The early stage is called gingivitis. During this period the gums become red and swollen, a clear sign of bacterial infection. In the more severe cases, the gums pull away from the tooth. In chronic periodontitis i.e, the advanced stage, you may witness a loss of gum tissue and bones, resulting in the teeth falling off. The disease, however, progresses pretty slowly.

Causes

Periodontal disease is quite common but preventable. The prevalence of periodontitis can be attributed to poor oral health and hygiene. Generally, oral diseases like periodontal disease start with the development of plaque.

Sugars and starch in your food, together with the bacteria in your mouth, form a film called plaque.
The plaque hardens into tartar under your gumline. It is filled with bacteria and is difficult to move at this point. You need a dental cleaning to get rid of it.
Plaque causes gum disease or otherwise called gingivitis which is the inflammation of the gums. Good dental care and treatment can reverse the disease at this stage.
Ongoing gum inflammation leads to periodontitis, a form of severe periodontal disease. This causes pockets to form your teeth and gums. These eventually fill with plaque, tartar, and bacteria. If not treated, they can lead to loss of tissue and bone, with your teeth falling off.

Symptoms

The first thing to remember is that healthy gums generally are pink and fit snug around your teeth. So even though the signs of periodontal disease are pretty subtle, it is not entirely without any warning.

The symptoms of periodontal disease include:

Gum Inflammation
Red and Tender Gums
Pus Between Teeth and Gums
Spaces Developing Between Teeth
Bleeding Gums (Especially While Brushing and Flossing)
Halitosis (Chronic Bad Breath)
Change in Bite
Receding Gum Lines
Calculus (Plaque or Tartar Buildup)
Pain when Biting or Chewing
Loose Teeth or Loss of Teeth
Foul Taste in the Mouth
Inflammatory Response

Risk Factors

Research shows that gum disease is associated with other systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several factors increase the risk of periodontal diseases. The risk factors can be both modifiable and non-modifiable.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Smoking & Tobacco Use – Smoking is of the leading factors for periodontal disease. Furthermore, it also affects oral microbial flora. Smokers are three times more likely to have severe periodontal disease than non-smokers. They also have more chances of tooth loss, alveolar bone loss, and poor outcomes of all forms of treatments. Moreover, nicotine can directly or indirectly cause periodontal tissue breakdown. Smokers with periodontal disease can develop cancerous lesions in the future.
Poor Oral Hygiene – Poor dental health aids bacterial deposition and build-up of dental plaque, leading to inflammation in periodontal tissues. Due to this, there is a high prevalence and increased severity of periodontal disease.
Hormonal Changes in Females – The increased progesterone during mensuration and ovulation disrupts the repair of collagen fiber and causes the blood vessels to dilate. Similarly, pregnant women also show signs of gingivitis. Finally, estrogen deficiency also reduces bone density leading to bone loss.
Diabetes Mellitus – Diabetes mellitus can play a significant role in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. It is also associated with periodontal ligament destruction leading to loss of teeth.
Medications – Medicines like tricyclic antidepressants, atropine, antihistamine, and beta-blockers can reduce saliva flow. This leaves the patient vulnerable to periodontal disease.
Stress – Stress reduces the flow of salivary secretions, which leads to increased dental plaque formation. People under stress can have poor oral hygiene. Furthermore, depressed individuals can have a higher cortisol concentration in the gingival crevicular fluid. And hence may respond poorly to treatment.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

Age – Older adults have increases chances of periodontal disease than other age groups.

Heredity – Genetics, along with environmental and demographical determinants, increase the threat of periodontal disease among different racial and ethnic populations.

Can You Stop Periodontitis?

Severe periodontal disease is called Periodontitis. At this point, it starts damaging the bone and is not reversible. However, your periodontist can treat and stop the progression of the disease. Gingivitis and mild cases require non-surgical treatment by a general dentist. However, moderate and severe periodontitis requires a surgical intervention to save as many teeth as possible.

Prevent Periodontal Disease - Stop Smoking With proper treatment and good oral health practices, periodontitis is manageable.

Brush twice a day, for at least 2 minutes every time.
Floss once a day.
Stop smoking and tobacco use.
Maintain a healthy diet.
Limit acidic and sugary foods.
Regular dental cleanings and exams can help spot the disease early.

Conclusion

According to World Health Organization (WHO), developing countries have a high prevalence of calculus and bleeding gums among adolescents. 35% to 70% of those in developing countries have calculus deposits, while 4% to 34% in the developed nations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently working with organizations such as the American Academy of Periodontology and the American Dental Association to improve the surveillance of periodontal disease in the adult U.S. population. In addition to that, state and local authorities should implement oral health policies to reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of life of people.

Furthermore, the American Academy of Periodontology recommends a comprehensive periodontal evaluation every year. Your dentist can perform it at your bi-annual check-up.

One of the best dentists in the Tucson area is Dr. Dalesandro, who has the experience you want to help you with gum disease or any other dental problems; call today for your next appointment.