All on 4™ is a relatively new implant option in the United States but has been done for many years with great success in Europe. This technique uses fewer implants that are placed at mechanical inclinations to maximize support. Because fewer implants are used this means lower treatment fees. Because we have a CT Scan in our facility, the deliberate use of angled implant placement allows us to avoid important anatomical areas that previously required bone grafting. Eliminating the need for costly bone grafting saves money as well as months of healing. We could perform the implant placement with sedation and place teeth later the same day if you wish. The All on 4™ option provides a comparable long term outcome to Teeth in An Hour™ by attaching teeth that do not have to be removed. All on 4™ saves time and money and we are excited to make this option available to our patients.
August 4, 2010
August 2, 2010
I am getting an implant to replace two teeth that have had a removable bridge. Do you do anything to the teeth adjacent to the bridge to build them up?
That depends on whether there is a need to strengthen what holds the teeth in place or change the tooth itself. During a proper evaluation we would evaluate for mobility patterns (you may not realize your teeth are starting to loosen), bone support around the remaining teeth, pathology such as root canal type infections that may show up only on x-rays and make sure that the natural teeth and the implants work together in providing the best possible function. The forces on the “new bite” have to be designed in a very specific way and this could vary depending on the circumstances of the patient. Where the tooth is positioned in the arch dermines, in part, what role it should play in overall chewing as well as appearance. Sometimes the surrounding teeth do have to be built up in order to achieve this proper bite and also create a more youthful appearance if something called the “vertical dimension” of the face has been changed (iefacial collapse). If all that is nessary is the treatment of gum disease then a simple non-invasive laser option called LANAP can reverse the damage to the bone that supports the teeth. I hope this helps!
August 1, 2010
I have to have some teeth taken out and I have decided on dental implants to replace them. I do not want to have both procedures on the same day. Would it be bad to wait a month for the implants? I mean bad in that there might be some bone loss during this period, or scar tissue could form that might make it harder to seat the implant.
Placing implants at the time of tooth removal could be the very best treatment decision for patient and doctor. However, I do understand that you may not feel comfortable with this idea. Waiting four weeks should not be a problem and scar tissue is not a problem either. Typically four weeks is not enough time for significant bone loss to take place. There is always the risk of an unforseen delay in implant placement for whatever reason. In your case I would strongly consider a bone preservation procedure at the time of tooth removal if you feel your appointment plan could change or you dont want to risk unforseen needs to graft at the time of implant placement. Because some areas of the bone remaining after a removal could be unexpectedly thinner or weaker, these areas could “disappear” shortly thereafter and make it difficult or in extreme cases impossible and even dangerous to proceed with implant placement without having to add more involved, more expensive grafting procedures and possibly delay the time of tooth replacement. Bone preservation can be accomplished with natural growth factors that can be obtained from your plasma in minutes where all you expirience is a small blood sample just like you would at your physicians office. This technique is known as PRGF. Other more traditional techniques involve the use of human or cow bone mineral.
May 24, 2010
GREAT CONFERENCE!
Great Conference!
By John Paul Gallardo, DDS
At the resident doctor’s request, I recently had the pleasure to lecture to the 2010 University of Florida general residency program on Advanced Surgical techniques in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry. We held our course in our continuing education conference room following a tour of the clinical facility. Preparing for these courses is always exhausting but worth all the effort! With all of the new information we included, it feels like new technology and modern concepts make what we were doing only a few years back almost obsolete. It is exciting to share as well as listen to some of the very thought provoking questions these doctors were asking. Our basic message was very simple…always continue to elevate your gold standard!
Again, a great time and great to see everyone! Congratulations on completing the program!
May 11, 2009
What is a dental implant made of?
The most common dental implants are made of titanium which is a biocompatible metal. Today most implants are made out of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy and treated either by plasma spraying or sandblasting to increase the surface area and the integration potential of the implant. We actually take it a step further and use growth factor proteins (PRGF) derived naturally from your own plasma to enhance healing. If an implant in the estheic zone (such as a front tooth ) is performed under todays standards and new technologies, none of the metal should show making it indistiguishable from a crown on a natural tooth root. Because there are so many different implant systems available to dental specialists today, it is important that the most proven and researched systems be used. We pride ourselves on the fact that we use only the most tested materials in our treatments since our intention is to provide results that could last a lifetime. Cutting corners should not be an option. Lets get it right the first time!
