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Dental Implants: Bringing the Carefree Back Into Your Smile

Summary & Participants

Losing your teeth in an accident or to tooth decay is no laughing matter. Many people with missing teeth are too embarrassed even to smile. But there are a number of cosmetic solutions available for tooth loss, from dentures to bridges. And thanks to advanced dental technology, there is a relatively new procedure available which can permanently repair your smile.

Medically Reviewed On: June 30, 2008

Webcast Transcript

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Welcome to our webcast. I'm David Folk Thomas. Losing your teeth in an accident or losing them to tooth decay is no laughing matter. Many people with missing teeth are too embarrassed even to smile. But there are a number of cosmetic solutions available for tooth loss, from dentures to bridges. And thanks to advanced dental technology, there is a relatively new procedure available which can permanently repair your smile. They're called dental implants.

Today we have two experts who will give us the details on dental implants and why they are so popular. To my left is Dr. Graziano Giglio. He's the Associate Clinical Professor at the Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics at New York University. He's also in private practice in New York specializing in aesthetics and implants. I will be calling him Graz from here on out. We don't have enough time to say his whole name.

Next to Graz, is Dr. Paul Kamen. He is the Associate Professor of Clinical Dentistry at Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery. He is also in private practice in Manhattan, specializing in periodontics and implants. Like I said, they're experts on the subject. Guys, thanks for joining me.

Let me start with you, Graz, what are these dental implants?

GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: It's basically a titanium screw that is placed into the jaw bone and then we anchor a tooth to it.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: So a titanium screw as in some guy breaking his leg.

GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: It's the same material that they use. There are different grades of titanium and it's placed into the jawbone. First, we make an osteotomy which is a hole in the bone and then it's screwed into the bone. After certain amount of healing we place a tooth on top of that.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: How far down are you going? I'm screwing stuff in my wall and it doesn't take. I mean the bone can actually support this?

GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: If there is enough bone there. It depends on the areas in the mouth, but there are some vital structures that we can't invade such as the sinus or the mandibular nerve. There are nerves inside the bone. We just have to avoid those. Sometimes a patient has to have bone replaced or augmented there prior to placing the implant.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Paul, as Graz just said, we're putting a titanium screw into the bone and then as he alluded to, what are we attaching above that?

PAUL KAMEN, DDS: Actually what is attached to that is what is called an abutment. This is what Graz does in his practice. I usually do the surgical placement of the implant.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: So we're just going out of order.

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