Meeting a Special Need
Losing your teeth and having to adjust to dentures is difficult at any age, but facing dentures at the age of two or three is a real tragedy. For young children born with ectodermal dysplasia - a group of about 150 closely related genetic disorders - wearing dentures becomes part of growing up. Missing or malformed teeth commonly occur in these disorders whose other symptoms include sparse hair, malformed nails, sensitive skin, absent or poorly functioning sweet glands, decreased flow of saliva or tears, missing fingers and/or toes and frequent respiratory infections.
According to the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasia (NFED) about 125,000 people in the united states are affected by these disorders. Now, thanks to a special program offered at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, children with these disorders can get the closest thing to a full set of teeth - dental implants - for about $1,500.00. That is about 20 percent of the average fee for these prosthetic teeth which are permanently attached to the jawbone. In addition, families who cannot afford the reduced fee can receive financial assistance through the NFED treatment funds.
There are many benefits of dental implants over dentures for these patients. The implants are not only more natural looking, but more comfortable. After the procedure most people can bite and chew the same food as people with their own teeth. Implants allow artificial teeth to feel natural. They also help to prevent bone loss in the gum area. Dr. Bruce Rotter, head of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department at SIU's dental school explains , "Eventually the lack of teeth can cause jawbone loss. Overtime the bone is reabsorbed. We're trying to limit the potential for bone loss by using implants, which functionally act like tooth roots".
The program, which was recently highlighted in the ADA News, started last year when Dr. Patrick J. Ferrillo, dean of SIU's dental school, who is also on the NFED board, found out that the National Institute of Health had to terminate their dental implant research on teenagers with ectodermal dysplasia. Dr. Ferrillo worked with NFED's executive director, Mary Kay Richter to develop a program that would both continue this valuable research and provide these children with an alternative to a life with dentures.
Dr. Ferrillo has secured donated implant materials from Implant Innovations of West Palm Beach Florida and donated laboratory work from Donnell Dental Laboratories, O'Fallon, IL. Members of the local Kiwanis club donate their time to drive patients and their families between the airport and the dental school. Dr. Rotter as well as other SIU dentists and students donate their time to perform and assist in the implant surgery.
The program is currently serving about a dozen children and young adults ranging in age from 11 to 24. The patients come from all over the Midwest, Georgia, Maryland, and New Jersey.
NFED's director of development, Jodi Edgar, summed up her gratitude with these words, "It's an amazing program. The possibility of children with ectodermal dysplasia getting implants at such a reasonable cost is a godsend".
The volunteers are also benefitting from the program. Besides enjoying their patients excitement at saying good-bye to their dentures, they are also developing valuable research data on the best age for children to receive implants and the role of implants in preventing jawbone loss.