Consumer Education: Dental Implants

Improved Quality of Life

Implant-supported replacement teeth ... as individual crowns, bridges, or removable dentures ... are the ultimate restorative option for replacing lost teeth.  And because implants actually serve to preserve bone and gum tissue, they support not only a wide range of life-like restorative solutions, both in appearance and function, but help prevent further degradation and loss of oral  tissues.  

 

Cost-Effective

Implants are extremely durable, demonstrating higher success rates and extended life compared to procedures utilizing compromised natural teeth for a variety of restorative procedures such as individual crowns, fixed bridges, and removable dentures.  And given their tissue preservation properties mentioned above, implants help avoid future costly bone and gum tissue grafting procedures. This typically pencils out to a  long term cost-effectiveness superior to alternative treatments ... not to mention patient satisfaction, which is priceless!

 

The Key to Successful Implant Treatment:  Thorough Treatment Planning!

I employ advanced, state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures, such as a dental application of CT technology (known as Cone Beam Computed Tomography) to evaluate  implant sites, and formulate treatment options ... in 3D!  3 Dimensional imaging provides a lot more information, and allows for safer, more effective case design and implant placement than standard 2 dimensional X-rays. My consultations are extensive and visually based, employing CBCT images, models, and intra-oral photos ... because it is important to me that you are well informed regarding not only your primary treatment  interest,  but regarding pertinent alternatives as well.  

 

Affordable

Implant-based dental solutions have historically been viewed as "elective" and associated with high fees.  Even as implant technology has improved, the cost to provide implant-based solutions has declined ... and I price my services not only to reflect those savings, but to make my  implant-based solutions competitive (or sometimes even less expensive!) with typical, non-implant procedures.  HOW CAN I DO THIS?  Well, as I mentioned above, I pass the savings of lower hardware costs to our patients ... WHILE USING THE BEST IMPLANT COMPONENTS AVAILABLE!  Another reason: by placing and restoring my own implants, I can not only provide a continuity of care all the way through to the final result, but am able to substantially reduce the total profit margin (as opposed to  separate fees charged by multiple doctors)! Finally, since my high tech approach to comprehensive care is nothing new for me, most of my expensive equipment is paid off ... so i can use it free of income considerations ... which translates into low cost to the consumer/patient!

SO ... IF you have always thought dental implants just couldn't be part of your dental future, THINK AGAIN ... AND CALL US!

 

CAD/CAM : Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing

Traditional crown/onlay fabrication entails taking an impression of the prepared tooth; having a lab prepare a model off of which they prepare a wax replica of the crown; casting the crown in metal  and/or hand-stacking porcelain to produce an all metal crown, a combination porcelain fused to metal crown, or an all porcelain crown; when the labwork is completed, the patient returns to have the temporary crown removed and the permanent crown cemented.

CEREC CAD/CAM technology uses digital imaging to, essentially, take a 3D optical image of the prepared tooth, producing a virtual model on which the dentist can immediately design the crown/onlay.  The milling unit of the CEREC then fabricates the crown/onlay from a block of highly dense pressed porcelain (with shade selections that extend beyond the standard shade guides).  With a quick polish, the crown/onlay is ready for final cementation.  Although more complex cases may entail temporization of the prepared tooth to allow the doctor additional time for designing or custom shade matching the restoration, most single unit restorations are completed in one appointment. Many dental labs are using the CEREC to produce all porcelain crowns due to advantages in material strength as well as the enhanced accuracy of optical impressions.

There is more that we could say, but, since a picture is worth a thousand words, please click on the following link to view a short video of a CEREC restorative appointment  Cerac Link

E4D CADCAM System:  CADCAM (Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing) has taken over dentistry.  Most dental labs, including the very largest, use CADCAM extensively to design and produce crowns and other ceramic restorations as well as ceramic and metal frameworks for implant supported restorations.  It's not just a matter of economy, but of precision, stronger materials, and integrated applications.  An example of the latter is the marriage between CBCT scanning and CADCAM to produce precision surgical guides for implant placement in complex cases. There are chairside CADCAM units available to dentists to use in their office for designing and producing ceramic restorations "in-house." If you have heard of "one appointment crowns," a chairside CADCAM system is responsible for that service.  The E4D is one of the two most common systems available to dentists.  The other system is the CEREC. I have owned both and prefer the E4D, which is in our office now. Although I work with an excellent local lab on a variety of restorations, the ability to make my own single tooth ceramic restorations (crowns - both tooth and implant supported, onlays, inlay, and veneers) has expanded the treatment options available to my patients, mostly in terms of lower cost and the ability to customize my restorations, but also in rapid delivery time. Chairside CADCAM is definitely state-of-the-art, and applications beyond single tooth restorations are growing everyday. 

E4D CADCAM System:  CADCAM (Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing) has taken over dentistry.  Most dental labs, including the very largest, use CADCAM extensively to design and produce crowns and other ceramic restorations as well as ceramic and metal frameworks for implant supported restorations.  It's not just a matter of economy, but of precision, stronger materials, and integrated applications.  An example of the latter is the marriage between CBCT scanning and CADCAM to produce precision surgical guides for implant placement in complex cases. There are chairside CADCAM units available to dentists to use in their office for designing and producing ceramic restorations "in-house." If you have heard of "one appointment crowns," a chairside CADCAM system is responsible for that service.  The E4D is one of the two most common systems available to dentists.  The other system is the CEREC. I have owned both and prefer the E4D, which is in our office now. Although I work with an excellent local lab on a variety of restorations, the ability to make my own single tooth ceramic restorations (crowns - both tooth and implant supported, onlays, inlay, and veneers) has expanded the treatment options available to my patients, mostly in terms of lower cost and the ability to customize my restorations, but also in rapid delivery time. Chairside CADCAM is definitely state-of-the-art, and applications beyond single tooth restorations are growing everyday.