Bottom line, Ralph Phillips is pleased. “I have my teeth back. All of them. And they don’t come out. They sleep with me at night.”
After struggling for many years with dental problems, and having limited success with a combination of capping and partial dentures, a new round of difficulties with his remaining teeth helped Ralph decide that another approach might be in order.
He took his concerns to his dentist of twenty years, who suggested implant treatment and full mouth reconstruction. “Dr. Patel went through it with me,” he says. “He explained how everything would work. I trusted him, so I decided to do it. And I’m very happy that I did.”
The process begins
While a full mouth reconstruction is no small task, current technology has streamlined procedures and enhanced successful outcomes. Rajiv Patel, BDS, MDS, a board-certified dentist and implant specialist, considers implants “the treatment of choice for the replacement of missing teeth.”
So, when his long-time patient inquired about a more permanent solution for his ongoing difficulties, Dr. Patel recalls that the timing was perfect. “At that time, we were getting into implant reconstruction.” Since implant treatment seemed like the best answer, he offered it to Ralph and the idea immediately piqued his interest. “We talked to him about giving him something fixed, something that wouldn’t decay, and he was very excited about it.”
In Ralph’s case, a few surgical corrections were necessary before the implants could be placed, the doctor notes, including sinus augmentation on the maxillary arch and bone grafting on the mandibular arch. “At that point, we could proceed with the upper and lower arch implant placement, and then we finally reconstructed everything.”
Future patients will likely have to undergo even fewer steps prior to implant placement, Dr. Patel adds. “The more we know about implants,” he continues, “the less we tend to do lots of drastic surgeries. Equipment exists to actually expand and manipulate the bone rather than going through a major surgical grafting procedure, and those techniques are becoming more and more practical to use.”
As a rule, he explains, a full mouth reconstruction can take between eighteen months and three years. “Each process takes some time because we have to allow for the soft tissues and the bone to heal and become healthy before we put the implants in them.”
When it does come time to place the implants, however, Dr. Patel stresses the value of digital 3D technology. “All of the implant placements are planned on the computer using SimPlant™ software,” he says. “As a result, we do not have to open any tissue and the implants are precisely placed, exactly as planned on the computer, accounting for angulations and depth. So it becomes very accurate and very predictable.”
Addressing a common misconception, the doctor also emphasizes that the procedure is relatively painless. “The general thought is, since we are doing surgery into the bone, that implant treatment would be very painful.” The reverse is actually true, he notes, citing the experience of more than 95 percent of his implant patients. “They hardly take any pain medication after the surgery.”
In order to help the implants last as long as possible for patients, Dr. Patel has even more technology at his disposal. A device known as a T-Scan uses digital sensors to check, and in the case of dental implants, establish, the patient’s bite. “The T-Scan records at one hundred frames per second,” the doctor explains. “It gives us information on the bite contact, along with the pressure and timing. We know exactly where the tooth is hitting first and how much pressure it exerts on particular spots so we can adjust the bite accordingly.”
“Wonderful results”
As promised, Ralph now has a much stronger set of teeth that stay with him all the time and are free from the threat of decay. “I don’t have any problems at all,” he says. “All I need are periodic cleanings.”
Of course, the freedom to enjoy anything he’d like to eat is one of the best benefits. “I’ve always liked to chew on ice and I couldn’t do that before. And, of course, I love corn on the cob and I can eat that now. I can eat
anything
now.”
And for Dr. Patel, if his patients are happy, he’s happy. His goal, he says, is to make a difference in their lives.
“Ralph has been coming to me for almost as many years as I have been in practice,” Dr. Patel shares. “He has become like a friend. With a majority of our patients, that’s what they become.”
The basis of that friendship, the doctor believes, is in taking time for the patient – time to educate them on both their condition and appropriate treatment options. “We sit down and discuss the situation with the patient and their family members, and then collectively make a decision based on their desires and their long-term predictable success.
The doctor’s efforts don’t go unnoticed where Ralph is concerned. “I think he’s a great guy. He came in on a Saturday one time to take care of me. And any time I’ve had serious work done, like when I was getting the implants, he called me at home to check on me.
“I truly believe he really gets a lot of satisfaction out of helping people. And he’s just a great person. I really enjoy having him as my dentist.”