Protocol places implants and replacement teeth in one visit.
Ellen also began a new career in the Sunshine State, returning to school to become a registered nurse. Though she worked mostly as a hospital floor nurse, Ellen concluded her career serving five years in the intensive care unit.
Ellen Konof
“I liked working in the ICU because I only cared for two or three patients and could really concentrate on them,” Ellen shares. “I knew when those patients were turning a corner, getting better or worse. On the floor, I had multiple patients. I couldn’t delve into their medical states to the extent I could in the unit.”
Like the patients she treated, Ellen’s teeth often required specialized care. Because her teeth were soft, she underwent multiple root canals and had numerous crowns. Over the years, many of the crowns broke down and infections developed beneath the crowns. She eventually lost most of her teeth, which made her miserable.
“I only had five teeth on the bottom and four on top,” Ellen laments. “I was so ashamed and embarrassed of my smile.
One time, my daughter invited company over for her birthday. I didn’t go because I didn’t want anybody to see me as I was, and I didn’t want any pictures taken of me.”
Last year, Ellen lost most of her remaining teeth, which left her needing dentures. She soon learned, though, that the shape of the roof of her mouth would prevent her from wearing a traditional upper denture.
“So, the dental clinic referred me to Dr. Pikos,” Ellen elaborates.
Precision Accuracy
Michael A. Pikos, DDS, is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and the founder of Coastal Jaw Surgery. During his initial visit with Ellen, he performed a thorough examination and presented her with a variety of options. The option Ellen accepted called for her upper and lower jaws to be restored through a process called Same Day Teeth®.
Developed by Dr. Pikos, a global leader in dental implants and surgical reconstruction, Same Day Teeth rebuilds smiles through the placement of dental implants and new teeth during the same appointment.
Dental implants are root-shaped, screw-like bodies surgically placed into the jawbone. Once in the jawbone, implants become the foundation for an abutment and replacement teeth.
The replacement teeth can be a single crown that is either cemented to or screwed onto the abutment, a partial bridge that can be affixed to one or more implants, or a full denture that can be fastened to a series of implants.
The process of placing implants and replacement teeth can be time consuming, but the Same Day Teeth protocol allows for this innovative treatment to be done in a day.
In treating Ellen, Dr. Pikos worked alongside Coastal Jaw Surgery’s prosthodontist, Philip J. Hedger, DMD, who designs the patient’s smile. They began the work on Ellen by gathering all information necessary to complete the Same Day Teeth process. That information is then shared digitally with an offsite dental laboratory that uses proprietary software to design the surgery and create the teeth.
“I went from having hardly any teeth to having a full set of teeth that look very natural.”– Ellen
Stabilizing a full set of teeth typically requires four to six implants. In Ellen’s case, Dr. Pikos placed five conventional, or axial, implants in her upper jaw and five axial implants in her lower jaw.
In some cases, zygomatic implants, which are longer than axial implants and anchored in the cheekbone, are required for the upper jaw. These permit Dr. Pikos to perform Same Day Teeth on patients who lack bone volume in the upper jaw to secure axial implants.
Both types of implants form a foundation for the permanent teeth, but patients receive a temporary set of teeth at the time of the implant surgery.
“They then follow a soft diet for four months, which allows the bone to grow around and bond with the implants,” Dr. Pikos explains. “After four months, patients receive their second set of permanent teeth.”
Beyond Words
Ellen is extremely pleased with her new teeth and smile.
“Words cannot express my feelings,” she enthuses. “I cried when I saw myself because I went from having hardly any teeth to having a full set of teeth that look very natural. And they’re a perfect color. Dr. Hedger did a great job with that.
“If you knew me before and saw me now, you’d think I was two different people. I smile a lot more now, and people can take all the pictures of me they want. My kids say, We have our mother back.”
Ellen is just as pleased with the oral surgeon and prosthodontist who treated her.
“I love Dr. Pikos and Dr. Hedger,” she raves. “They said, We’re going to take good care of you, and they did. They’re perfectionists; they wanted to make sure I was happy, and they succeeded. I’m over the moon with my new teeth.”
© FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photos courtesy of Coastal Jaw Surgery. js
