Dentists' idea bridges gap in oral health cost

/Home/Dental Care and Treatment/Dentures (Prosthodontics)/Dentures (Prosthodontics) Articles

Dentists' idea bridges gap in oral health cost
December 18, 2007
Patrick Flanigan
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Ask Christine Rizzo which of her teeth are prosthetic and she opens her mouth into a wide smile Û a really wide smile.

"Guess," the Greece resident says through a Cheshire cat grin.

The answer: all of them, top and bottom, front to back Û two full sets of resin dentures that look nothing like the false teeth that spend the night in a glass of water beside the bed.

In fact, Rizzo's teeth look as if she were born with them. And after years of dental troubles, she said that's exactly how they feel.

"I'm probably eating too much now that I can again," Rizzo said. "But I'll adjust that."

Rizzo recently had all her teeth, both good and bad, removed to make room for a new implant procedure pioneered by Brighton dentists Frank and James LaMar of the Elmwood Dental Group.

If things go as planned for the LaMar brothers, their Hybridge system will soon be introduced to a national market.

They're awaiting the outcome of a patent application on their procedure and are in discussions with dental implant makers to license the Hybridge procedure to dentists and prosthodontists across the country. They've already obtained a trademark for the word Hybridge, which refers to a hybrid of a conventional fixed bridge and a denture.

"There's a huge population of people out there who are totally frustrated with their dental history, and we think this is a good solution for them," said Frank LaMar.

That population consists primarily of middle- to late-aged baby boomers, some of whom grew up before fluoride-infused tap water aimed at keeping teeth healthy, he said.

Many such people make frequent trips to the dentist for one procedure after another to salvage each tooth Û from fillings to root canals to crowns to bridges to a choice between removable dentures or expensive porcelain crowns and bridges affixed to metal implants.

Others know their teeth or gums are in bad shape but avoid the dentist altogether.

The end result of a Hybridge procedure is a row of resin dentures fastened to the front of the jaw with five or six metal implants. While this type of appliance has been around for several years, the LaMars have a patent pending on their installation procedure, which reduces the number of surgical visits and shaves months off the entire process. A Hybridge can be installed as soon as three weeks after treatment starts, they said.

With prices that start at $15,000 to $20,000, the LaMars said the Hybridge is about half the cost of dental implants with porcelain crowns and bridges but feel much more natural than traditional removable dentures, which often cover the palate and reduce the ability to enjoy the texture of food.

The procedure is radical, typically involving the removal of all the teeth on the upper or lower jaw. In some cases, it could mean extracting relatively healthy teeth to make room for a full row of prosthetic teeth.

That represents a philosophical departure for many dentists, who were taught that tooth extraction is a last resort. But after 17 years of dental practice, Frank LaMar said he has concluded that mindset is outdated.

"The origin of doing anything to save the tooth came about because we didn't have anything better to offer patients," he said. "I've done a lot of heroic dental work to save teeth that just didn't hold up over the years."

Matthew Coles, a Webster dentist who has referred some patients to the LaMars, said the patient is ultimately the best person to decide if a tooth is worth saving.

But Coles said he has seen patients who couldn't be more pleased after returning from Hybridge surgery.

While the upfront cost of a Hybridge can be a deterrent for some people, it could be less expensive than years of work on individual teeth, Coles said.

"Obviously I'm losing a little bit of business, but it's nice to see how happy they are with their teeth," he said of his patients. "It affects so much of their lives."

Rizzo would agree. After years of suffering from chronic gum infections, she said her teeth had reached a point where she was afraid to smile.

"I used to see the camera coming and go the other way," said Rizzo, 65. "Now, at my tender age, it's so nice to smile in pictures with my grandkids."

Copyright © 2007, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, All rights reserved.