Chicago Dentist

A UB dentist specializing in prosthodontics says the best thing about providing patients with attractive and cost-effective dental restoration is the appreciation of those benefiting from his research and practice.Hyeongil Kim, who joined the dental school faculty as a clinical instructor in 2002, became an assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry last fall. He previously served as director of UB’s fixed and removable dental laboratories. “We treat many long-time denture wearers in the postgraduate and pre-doctoral clinics,” says Kim, noting that they often suffer from severe jawbone loss, which leads to loose dentures and sore oral tissues. “Just a little aesthetic and functional improvement makes a dramatic difference,” he says. “The patient’s satisfaction is the most rewarding part of being a clinician.” Buffalo is a particularly fascinating city from a prosthodontic perspective because the number of denture-wearers is well above the national average, Kim says, especially people who have worn them for many years. “Many people here have had dentures since they were young,” he says. “There was a time when dentures were given as graduation presents, and many patients are now suffering because their dentures are too loose—they’re using glue to keep them on.
UB Reporter: Kim works to lower cost of dentures

- The skulls of Cro-Magnon peoples indicate that tooth decay was in evidence some 25,000 years ago, and a Sumerian text from 5000 BC describes “tooth worms” as a cause of dental decay.
- The Chinese used acupuncture around 2700 BC to treat the pain associated with tooth decay.
- The Ebers papyrus from ancient Egypt, written between 1700 and 1500 BC, contains references to diseases of the teeth, and prescriptions for substances such as olive oil, dates and green lead to ease throbbing in the teeth.
- Aesculapius, a Greek physician who lived between 1300 and 1200 BC, is often credited with originating the concept of extracting diseased teeth.
- Between 500 and 300 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about ointments and red-hot wire being used to treat diseases of the teeth and gums.
They also discussed tooth extraction and the use of wires to hold broken jaws and loose teeth in place.
- A little later, physicians in Arabia wrote of scraping teeth and using the earliest form of toothbrush, a small stick softened at one end.
- In the Middle Ages in Europe, surgeons frequently acted as dentists for the wealthy, using metal rods as dental drills to remove plaque.
- From the Middle Ages to the early 1700s, barber-surgeons extracted teeth, did minor surgery, applied leeches to let blood and embalmed bodies.
- In the 15th century in Italy, gold leaf was frequently used to fill cavities.
- In the 16th century in France, soft lead was used as filling material.
- French surgeon Pierre Fauchard (1678-1761), author of The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth, is regarded as the father of modern dentistry.
- Dental practitioners who migrated to the North American colonies in the 18th century were mainly concerned with extracting diseased teeth and replacing them with dentures.
- Until the mid-19th century, dentures were custom-made by skilled artisans, who used gold, silver, and ivory for the job.
- In 1851, a process for moulding artificial porcelain teeth was developed, making the manufacture of dentures relatively inexpensive.
Highlights from battle against tooth decay

A new invention is using the concept of a virtual reality game console to create perfect dentures.
The Wii – the video game from Nintendo that allows players to control the game action by moving their arms in front of a motion-sensor – made its global debut in 2006.  The ‘dental Wii’ is the creation of US company SensAble Technologies, whose 3-D touch-enabled modelling systems can be used to design partial sets of false teeth

Dentistry.co.uk | News | Lab goes ‘Wii’ to create perfect-fitting dentures!

At the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Show recently, SensAble Technologies, Inc, a leading provider of 3D touch-enabled modeling solutions, announced that BEGO USA, headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and NOBILIUM/TICONIUM, divisions of CMP Industries, LLC, located in Albany, New York, have provided key fabrication techniques for use with the SensAble Dental Lab System, also announced recently.  SensAble’s system is the industry’s first integrated digital dental lab offering that can produce partial frameworks, as well as other restorative substructures. The system’s consistent results can be largely attributed to the materials expertise and industry knowledge provided by both BEGO USA and NOBILIUM/TICONIUM, which help ensure the accuracy of finished parts when using either company’s investment and casting materials.

Each dental supplier has patented materials and processes for investing and casting that are critical to high-quality finished dental restorations. By partnering with BEGO USA and NOBILIUM/TICONIUM, SensAble has ensured that this key materials science is incorporated into the SensAble Dental Lab System. When a dental technician is ready to create dental work for a patient, they simply select the material to be used for the partial framework, coping or bridge substructure, based on the dentist’s personal preference. The SensAble Dental Lab System will then seamlessly make material-specific adjustments throughout the modeling and fabrication processes to ensure that the final casting or resin print will precisely fit the patient.

SensAble Integrates BEGO And NOBILIUM/TICONIUM Materials InTo

Do you miss your missing teeth?  If something is missing from your smile, you should consider the tremendous benefits of dental implants.  If you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, dental implants offer a very lifelike solution that addresses problems that may happen below the surface, in addition to the obvious smile appearance deficit.
Press Release - Dental Implants : Do You Miss Your Missing Teeth?