All on Four, Teeth in a Day, & Teeth in a Hour–Uses and Abuses

Many patients have asked about heavily marketed implant options such as Teeth-in-an Hour, All-on-Four, or Teeth-in-a- Day. This a procedure where a person with a denture is able to have four implants placed and walk away wearing an implant retained denture replacement.
BE VERY WEARY OF CERTAIN DENTAL IMPLANT "SUPERCENTERS" Who Claim to give this All To You In A Day!
Here are my Expert Opinions: 1) Most marketing efforts on these concepts show a person chewing an apple right away. In the vast majority of cases they are using a temporary restoration with the permanent restoration being made in 3 to 4 months.2) Placing an implant supported restoration immediately is great, and I can do this in many cases, however, it adds considerably to cost, with no additional long term benefits.3) Although there is a high success rate once the permanent restoration is finished, for the very high price of All-on-Four (one large “chain” of dental implantcenters charges about $30,000 per arch), Ideally additional stability with more support than four implants is standard of care. 4) Avoiding bone grafts by placing implants at an angle is appropriate in some instances, in instances where implants are long enough and cross-splinted for mutual support.5) Immediate placement of restorations cannot successfully be placed in areas where tooth have just been extracted. Temporary restoration and bone healing must occur first.6) Special caution should be exercised before thinking that complex implant problems can be solved in “cookie-cutter” solutions such as All-on Four.” The number of implants required is HEAVILY dependent on other factors such as parafunction (clenching, grinding), shape of the jawbones, nature of opposing teeth (dentures vs. natural teeth, individual facial aesthetic, bone density, systemic disease, and many other factors. Both patient and practitioners should use caution not to over-simplify.6) The most important aspect of these restorations is the use of sophisticated software that uses CT bone scans to image the bone in 3D. This allows more accurate placement, less healing time, and more comfort for the patient. For you “techies” out there go to my website and look at how we do this for complex cases. All technology has uses, abuses, and limitations. I do use this technology, but I do believe some mass advertising of this is misleading.
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Dental Implants...The BEST Alternative to Bridges

According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), dental bridges are difficult to clean under, often are destroyed by tooth decay, and require replacement. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry is now recommending replacement with permanent dental implants. Bridges generally fail after five to 10 years because patients have trouble flossing them. Bridges connect missing tooth spaces to the adjacent teeth,therefore most patients find it very difficult to floss under the bridge. As a result, root surfaces below and around bridgework usually decay if not kept exceptionally clean by careful flossing. It is difficult to repair this marginal decay, so the entire bridge must be replaced. The cure of this problem for most patients are dental implants.

Dental implants are the best treatment alternative because they preserve the jaw bone, can be flossed like individual teeth, do not decay, and function just like natural teeth. Today, highly precise computer and CAT Scan guided dental implant surgery has made the procedure faster, highly predicable, long-lasting, and 98 to 99% successful. Anyone with one or more missing teeth who might consider having a bridge placed or replacing an existing bridge should stongly consider dental implants before getting treatment. At The Center For Oral & Facial Surgery in Anthem, Arizona, we give all our patients the option of implants to replace missing teeth.

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Dental Implants - What Are They?

Dental Implants - What are they?

Implants are artificial tooth roots made of titanium. These anchors act as tooth root substitutes. They are surgically placed into the jawbone. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for porcelain teeth or they can strengthen your denture.

Small posts called “abutments” are then attached to the implants, which protrude through the gums. These posts provide stable support for replacement teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace a single lost tooth or many missing teeth. Implants also help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration, which occurs when teeth are missing.
Dental implants are nothing new. They were invented in the1960's in Sweden. They entered the U.S. in the early 1980's. In the last 15 years, significant advances have propelled implants into the spotlight. When done correctly, they have a very high success rate. In fact, my own success rate with this procedure is 99.6%.

For More Information Please Visit my website www.drbdorfman.com/implants.htm

The Hidden Dangers of Missing Teeth & Dentures–The Helath Importance of Replacing Missing with Dental Implants

I am constantly amazed that many dentists (apparently) do not tell their patients what can and will happen when they lose teeth. Because of this realization I have decided to produce an educational forum on dental implants, and felt compelled to start with a section of the problems that patients are not aware of—and probably were not informed about. Personally, I think that all dentists have the LEGAL and MORAL obligation to tell people about these problems!

Issues such as:

1) The vast amount of bone loss that follows tooth loss and progresses over time
2) Facial wrinkles resulting from the atrophy of the facial muscles
3) Social embarrassment and fear of social situations
4) Inability to chew food properly contributing to nutritional problems, obesity, and diabetes
5) Perpetual and progressive inability to use full and partial dentures (also pain!)
6) Bone loss beneath convention bridges resulting in food impaction and increases gum disease on additional tooth loss
7) Decrease mobility
8) Increased incidence of neurological disorders from denture adhesives
9) Increased incidence of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Even pancreatic cancer!
10) Bite collapse of the back teeth resulting in more tooth loss, inability to chew food, and a “flaring out” or loss of the front teeth!

The list goes on and on with more health problems being discovered daily.

Welcome To My Blog

Just wanted to welcome all of you to my blog. In this blog I will be discussing information about Dental Implants, Implant Dentistry, Wisdom Teeth, Snoring, Cosmetic Facial Surgery and other exciting topics. Please keep coming back to find out important oral health related information as well as information about our exciting practice.

Don't forget to visit our highly informative website www.drbdorfman.com