Children's treats complex dental needs

With one of only a handful of pediatric prosthodontists in the country, Children's can treat patients with the most complex dental needs.

Johnathan Nichols has lost most of his baby teeth. The few adult teeth he has are brittle and shaped like pointy cones.

Life for someone who has so few teeth, especially a 16-year-old who loves dancing at quinceañeras and is ready to start dating girls, can be rough.

Born with a genetic disorder called Ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia and bilateral cleft lip and palate, Johnathan lives with a number of challenges. But Johnathan is in good hands at Children's.

Dr. Michael Oppedisano, a specialist with training in both prosthodontics (the extensive restoration and replacement of teeth) and pediatric dentistry, is one of only a handful of specialists in the nation with dual expertise.

An unlikely combination

As a dental student, Dr. Oppedisano wanted to work with kids. After completing a three-year prosthodontics residency at the Texas A&M Health Science Center–Baylor College of Dentistry, his desire to work with children remained.

When he approached the administrators at the Baylor College of Dentistry about doing a pediatric residency that would incorporate prosthodontics work, he said they weren't sure how to proceed.

"This is as uncommon a combination as you could get," said Dr. Alton McWhorter, director of the graduate program in pediatric dentistry at the college, which has a residency program through Children's. "But he's filling a gap in patient care that's going to be more and more difficult to fill."

Restoration hardware

Dr. Oppedisano should have no shortage of patients because many disorders and syndromes have oral manifestations. These include weak enamel and oro-facial bones; misshapen, missing or delayed eruption of teeth; malformed bites; and cleft lip and/or palate.

Johnathan has all of these problems, and it will take a team of experts at Children's — orthodontists, plastic surgeons, craniofacial surgeons and prosthodontists like Dr. Oppedisano — to help restore his mouth and teeth.

Once he is finished growing, Johnathan will have a special 3-D CT scan of his head which will help in the planning of a series of surgeries so he eventually can have dental implants. Until then, Johnathan will wear dentures designed and fabricated by Dr. Oppedisano.

Relating to children and teens

Dr. Oppedisano's training allows him to use the most complex prosthodontic procedures. Of equal importance is his sensitivity to patients' psychological and emotional development.

"Your teeth and your smile affect your confidence level so much," said Johnathan's mother, Christina Nichols. "Dr. Oppedisano's biggest concern has been about making Johnathan look and feel good about himself."

Learn more about oral health and dental specialists at Children's.

Tags: pediatric , prosthodontists , dental