Prosthodontics Treatment By Specialist Prosthodontist in Dublin

At our clinic in Sandyford, Dublin, our prosthodontist specialises in the cosmetic (aesthetic) restoring and replacing of teeth. Making these improvement will restore an attractive smile. Other procedures included in prosthodontics treatment can be implant restoration, and the treatment of (TMJ), temporomandibular joint disorder as well as the rehabilitation with prostheses, of occlusion. Dr Edward Owens  is a registered Prosthodontic specialist.

WHAT IS PROSTHODONTICS?

Prosthodontics is dentistry focusing on the various prosthesis used in dentistry. This speciality deals in diagnosis, planning treatment, the rehabilitation and continued maintenance of overall oral function. Comfort and appearance and the overall dental health of patients giving rise to deficient or missing teeth as well as oral and maxillofacial tissues, are also addressed with the use of substitutes that are biocompatible.

PROSTHODONTIC PROCEDURES UNDERTAKEN INCLUDE:

• Veneers
• Bridges
• Inlays
• Crowns

• Partial dentures
• Complete dentures

PROSTHODONTIST IN THE BEACON DENTAL CLINIC, SANDYFORD – OUR DUBLIN BASED CLINIC:

Choosing a prosthodontist who has extensive experience and advanced knowledge, as well as using the latest in technology is always the best idea. Prosthodontists specialise in replacing and restoring teeth. In addition to dental school graduation the prosthodontist will have completed additional advanced training and education through a graduate programme in prosthodontics.

Providing an extremely high level of care to patients who have teeth missing or who have suffered significant dental damage, prosthodontics can also address congenital defects as well as problems arising from dental trauma or neglect. With highly trained cutting edge techniques and procedures orthodontists treat many complex dental conditions such as:

• Bridges
• Crowns
• Partial removable dentures
• Removable complete dentures
• Dental implants

• Jaw joint problems – TMD
• Traumatic injuries to structures of the mouth or the teeth
• Sleep disorders and snoring
• Reconstruction and continued care post oral cancer
• Restoration of teeth that have been damaged

DAMAGED TEETH AS A DEVELOPMENTAL DEFECT OR AS THE RESULT OF:

• Trauma
• Decay
• Failed fillings

• Grinding of the teeth
• Diet or disease related acid damage to the teeth
• Reduced production of saliva

Prosthodontists can also provide services like fillings, crowns and veneers according to the specific requirement of each patient with treatments ranging from minor interventions to more complex treatment.

REPLACEMENT OF MISSING TEETH:

Prosthodontists can offer a patient a choice of many options for the replacement of missing teeth. If a patient needs a complete denture, a partial, removable denture, implants, a fixed bridge or any combination of these treatments, Prosthodontists will be able to provide high-quality solutions. With a comprehensive understanding of dental laboratory procedures, prosthodontists work closely with dental technicians making sure that every custom made prosthesis is comfortable, functions well and is attractive.

DENTAL IMPLANTS:

The oral implant has revolutionised dentistry today is the oral implant that is a service that that Prosthodontists have been pioneers in. over the last thirty years they have been in at the forefront of research into the development of dental implants. As an alternative to the more traditional tooth replacement options, dental implants have enormous advantages. This is fast becoming the state of the art treatment for patients who have lost all or some of their teeth.

COSMETIC AND AESTHETIC DENTISTRY:

Cosmetic dentistry is a major part of a prosthodontist’s work. For a single restoration or a more extensive rehabilitation, there will always be a common denominator: the artificial component will have to blend with the general oral environment. Any procedure a patient is prescribed must be functional and comfortable but will also have to faithfully reproduce form and enhance aesthetics. As the general population generally keep more of their own teeth as they grow older and are also living longer, prosthodontists play a key role in helping today’s patient achieve and maintain an attractive and healthy appearance.

Prosthodontists will also offer teeth whitening and bonding treatments as well as colour matching and veneers to help reshape the teeth and enhance the overall appearance, and the precise placement of fixed prostheses like bridges and crowns. Prosthodontists combine the care of a health care professional with skill of an artist in the creation of healthy natural-looking restorations.

COMPLEX PROSTHODONTIC CASES:

The training for a prosthodontist includes in-depth study of the teeth and jaws. In combination with other specialists, Prosthodontists can provide treatment for patients with birth defects like cleft palate and other conditions like TMD. They also treat traumatic injuries as well as complex restorations for those patients suffering from head and neck cancers who have had surgical and radiation therapy treatment.

Sleep apnoea is one of those conditions most people haven’t heard of unless they know someone who has been diagnosed with it and treated for it.

Even many GPs don’t have it at the top of their list of suspected conditions when patients complain of poor quality sleep and tiredness during the day.

As a result, respiratory specialists believe up to 90 per cent of sleep apnoea in adults and children goes undiagnosed. And it’s on the rise because obesity is a risk factor and, as we know, Irish people are getting fatter.

Dr Elaine Purcell at the Sleep Clinic in the Mater Private Hospital says sleep apnoea is often associated with overweight men but anyone can have it.

“Babies, children, teenagers and adults can have sleep apnoea. The overall incidence is one in 20 people but it is often missed in children and misdiagnosed in adults – particularly in post-menopausal women who are often considered to be depressed rather than checked out for sleep apnoea,” she says.

Tiredness

The most obvious symptom of sleep apnoea is never feeling like you’ve had restorative sleep and, as a consequence, feeling tired during the day.

“Loud snoring followed by quiet spells are common symptoms, as are jumping, kicking or sweating in your sleep,” says Purcell.

Some sufferers will get morning headaches and go to the toilet a lot in the night.

Up to 50 per cent of adults with sleep apnoea will also have high blood pressure, according to Prof Walter McNicholas who runs the Sleep Clinic at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin.

Sleep apnoea sufferers are at a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes. The condition runs in families, but being overweight and unfit are also causal factors.

In children, all the above are also risk factors to some extent but paediatric sleep apnoea is also much higher in children with genetic neuromuscular conditions. It can also be present in children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

Some children have their tonsils or adenoids removed as a form of treatment while others wear sleep devices such as the CPAP worn by most adult sufferers.

When Maeve Walsh suffered from disturbed sleep beyond toddlerhood, her mother, Irene, began to look for an explanation.

“At four, she was still waking up distressed two to four times a night. She was always tired in the morning,” explains Walsh.

Results from a pulse oxyimetry found that Maeve, who has Down syndrome, was oxygen deprived in her sleep.

Unsettled

Following an operation to have her tonsils removed, Maeve was discharged from hospital but still unsettled at night.

About 14 months later, she was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea following an overnight sleep study and has since been fitted with an airways pressure device.

“We’ve noticed a significant improvement in her mood, concentration and she has grown better. I think there needs to be much greater awareness of sleep apnoea,” explains Walsh.

Getting access to a sleep study (known as a polysomnography) to confirm diagnosis of sleep apnoea can be a problem.

“People can wait for over a year in all public hospitals in Ireland and these waiting lists have increased in the last six months as facilities have been reduced,” says Dan Smith of the Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust, the support group for sleep apnoea sufferers and their families.

The long wait for diagnosis is, according to Smith, partly due to the absence of dedicated full-time sleep disorder specialists.

“A very busy respiratory consultant will spend about 20 per cent of his/her time on sleep disorder breathing. The Irish Sleep Society submitted a national sleep strategy to the HSE in August 2013 which was favourably received but awaits implementation,” says Smith.

Treatment

Once diagnosed, sleep apnoea sufferers must adapt to wearing a dental device or one which pumps air into their nasal passages throughout the night.

“The treatment works well but some patients need a lot of encouragement to wear their devices in the beginning.

“Once they become more aware of the health consequences of untreated sleep apnoea – increased risk of heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias, high blood pressure, diabetes – that improves compliance greatly,” says Purcell.

Link to health issues

Smith fervently believes that if respiratory sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea were fully diagnosed and treated, a lot of later life health problems wouldn’t develop.

“Studies have shown reduced rates of stroke, decrease in high blood pressure, less likelihood of developing diabetes type 2 and glaucoma once sleep apnoea is treated,” he says.

“There are big financial savings in all of this too.”

Sleep apnoea: the facts

Sleep apnoea is a respiratory disorder which results in frequent short lapses in breathing throughout the night.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common form. This is caused by the narrowing of the throat muscles to such an extent that breathing is stopped for 10-30 seconds. When this happens, the brain is immediately aroused to stimulate the throat muscles to re open to allow breathing.

What are the symptoms?
Restless sleep with a feeling of tiredness throughout the day; some sufferers of sleep apnoea snore, but not all snorers have sleep apnoea.

How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis of the condition follows the sufferer undergoing an overnight sleep study (polysomnography) in a sleep clinic.
Portable devi ces can be used to check for signs of sleep apnoea but medical experts rely on respiratory data from a sleep clinic study for full diagnosis.

What is the treatment?

Sleep apnoea is usually treated with a respiratory device worn in bed every
night.

The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device is the most commonly used. Held on by a mask, the CPAP is linked by tubing to a small airway pressure device which sends air into the lungs throughout the night.

Some people with mild sleep apnoea wear oral appliances.

3 Good Reasons Booklet

Reproduced courtesy of http://www.irishtimes.com/
First published: Tue, Feb 18, 2014

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