| Cosmetic Dentist Reconstructive Dentistry Bite - Occlusion |
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Before - After Dental Photo Gallery
Automobile Accident Dental TraumaOur patient, a professional truck driver, had a busy and unpredictable work schedule that interfered with maintaining normal oral hygiene.He was involved in a serious automobile accident that caused a significant jaw injury. He was told by the doctors that his jaw would never work properly. At the time he came into our office, his chief complaint was that he was biting his palate, understandably causing unmanageable pain. Vanishing Verticle DimensionWith an otherwise normal mouth and teeth, everyone has a bite or occlusal relationship that is established by how the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible) function and rest.Normal wear and tear through the years can cause the height of upper and lower teeth to shorten... which causes the popular granny mouth we are all familiar with. Popular dental treatments are available that address the issue of worn down teeth (crowns, implants, partials, etc) that restore the verticle dimension and normal occlusion. 
Our patient's vertical dimension was quite unique in that he had so many missing and misaligned teeth that the jaw didn't have a normal stopping or resting point. In short... there was no vertical dimension to speak of.The adjacent closeup photos show how some of the patient's lower teeth would make physical contact with his palate (roof of his mouth). Normal eating and chewing was an ongoing painful event for the patient... which eventually forced him to eat mostly soft foods. 
Patient Goal: Normal Dental FunctionThe primary goal of our patient was to be able to eat and chew normally and most importantly, to be without pain. While certain cosmetic issues were important, the patient was focused on having a normal bite again.After discussing several choices of procedures and materials that could be used, the patient elected to have a combination of new porcelain crowns and a custom partial denture. Dr. Richard incorporated a Bredent attachment device made of resilient material which eliminates the unsightly metal clasps that are typically used with partials. 
The patient particularly liked the Bredent attachment technology because of it's cosmetic value. It was not immediately apparent to friends and new acquaintances that he was wearing a partial (not so with bright silver metal clasps).As our final after photos show, our trucker has a great looking set of teeth with a normalized bite. Final, minor teeth whitening to match up the new restorations with a few teeth that were mildly stained was done by the patient with popular over the counter whitening products. The patient is now able to eat and chew just about anything he desires... and without pain. He reports feeling great, looking years younger and virtually pain free for the first time in years. 
Return to Photo GalleryHave questions about dental trauma or serious occlusal problems? Call our office today at 414-464-9021 to make an appointment to meet with Dr. Bruce or Dr. Richard to learn more about a variety of treatments and products that are available for correcting bite and damaged teeth problems. You can also use our on-line Ask the Dentist and Consultation Request forms. See examples (more photos, treatment and actual surgery descriptions) of more complex reconstructive dentistry procedures at our state-wide website Wisconsin Reconstructive Implant Dentistry.
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