DAD + COW = …
父+牛の骨＝…
A few years ago, my Dad was over having dinner and he said that his lower front tooth was loose and was bothering him. After dinner, I took out a flashlight and took a look. The tooth that he was pointing to was part of a bridge replacing 4 teeth. If anything happened to that loose tooth, he would lose the bridge and have no teeth in the front. What to do? This was my Dad, after all, and I felt a need to prove myself in front of him. I saw him in my office the next day and took an x-ray. There was a lot of bone lost in one area. I would try my best to keep the bridge in his mouth and keep him eating and smiling.
aaaaaWhen there is a lot of bone lost in one area, one of the best options is a bone replacement graft. Three main sources where dental bone replacement is coming from are: people (either from yourself or someone else), cow bone, and fake bone. Bone from yourself would mean surgery to a different area to get the bone. Bone from someone else would mean human bone that has been processed, sterilized and freeze-dried into a powder. Cow bone would mean almost the same thing; bones from cows that have been through the same process as the human bone. Fake bone are artificial pieces that allow the area to fill in easier with healing. Any type of bone graft is better than nothing at all in most cases. At that time, I had some cow bone in my office. I offered it to my dad as a way to get bone to grow back in the area where it was lost. He was curious and amused at the thought but he agreed.
aaaaaOn the day of the surgery, I got him numb, flapped open the gum tissue, cleaned out the area and packed in the cow bone in the bone pocket where it will stay to heal. He was stitched up and I told him it will be all better within a week. I sat my Dad up after the surgery and asked him how he felt. I started laughing when he answered me, “Moooooo!” I’m glad that he can keep his tooth as well as his sense of humor! （次回は５月11日号掲載）
〈Keyword〉
bone replacement graft：歯牙移植
cow bone：牛の骨
Fake bone：人工歯
（「WEEKLY Biz」2013年4月13日号掲載）
〈プロフィル〉Dr. Clara Lee ニューヨーク大学歯学部卒業。ニューヨーク大学ブルックデール病院でチーフレジデンス修了。13年以上に及ぶ臨床経験は一般歯科、コスメティック、インプラントを含む。インビザライン認定医。Waterside Dental Care院長として古山医師と共に、多くの日本人患者さんを治療。Dentistryをこよなく愛している。記事提供：Waterside dental Care（Tel：212-683-6260）
