Same Day Teeth® protocol is the way to go for fixed permanent replacements
Suzanne before and after dental implants gave her teeth she is happy with “for the first time in (her) life.”
A native of Staten Island, Suzanne Maidhoff relocated to orida in 2005 when the cost of living in New York became e for her. After a year of for a job in the Sunshine State, Suzanne finally found work at a bank.
“With a friend’s recommendation, I got the job with what was then World Savings Bank,” Suzanne elaborates. “World Savings was bought by Wachovia, which was bought by Wells Fargo. I always had the same manager; the bank names just changed.
“I held a variety of positions at the bank. I started as an administrative assistant and wound up as an REO (real estate owned) remediation specialist. I was hired in 2006 and retired in August 2017.”
Suzanne enjoys retirement. She belongs to a book club and stays busy by going to the movies, shopping and visiting with friends from her housing development. But in 2021, a dental issue put a damper on her amusement by spoiling her smile.
“The people in my family have bad teeth, so I think my teeth were bad as well,” Suzanne laments. “I took good care of my teeth over the years and spent a fortune on caps and bridges, but that dental work all rotted away.
“At one point, I asked my dentist about a bridge that was loose, and he said, There’s nothing holding it underneath. It’s completely rotten. He recommended I visit Coastal Jaw Surgery.”
The dentist referred Suzanne to Coastal Jaw Surgery’s Trinity office, where she consulted with Nicole Hernandez, DDS, MD, a board- certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
“Originally, Suzanne came to us with failing upper teeth,” Dr. Hernandez recalls. “She was missing several good anchor teeth for her bridges. I asked her if she was interested in something removable, such as a denture, or something fixed. She said, Absolutely not a denture!
“Because the teeth that were left in her mouth were failing, the only good solution for Suzanne was our practice’s smile-restoration protocol, Same Day Teeth®. That protocol provides patients with a fixed hybrid prosthesis — permanent teeth screwed onto dental implants.”
Identical Protocol
Developed by Coastal Jaw Surgery’s founder, Michael A. Pikos, DDS, 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 that are surgically placed into the jawbone. Once in the jawbone, implants become the foundation for abutments and replacement teeth.
The replacements can be a crown that is cemented or screwed onto the abutment, a partial bridge that can be affixed to one or more implants, or a full- arch prosthesis that can be fastened to a series of implants.
As part of the Same Day Teeth protocol, Dr. Hernandez works alongside Coastal Jaw Surgery’s prosthodontist, Philip J. Hedger, DMD, MS, who designs the patient’s smile.
“Dr. Hedger met with Suzanne for an initial design consultation,” Dr. Hernandez confirms. “During the smile evaluation, they looked at factors such as tooth shape, color and position. They developed a plan for the prosthesis’s aesthetics. Dr. Hedger then took impressions, created models and sent all the information to the lab, which fabricates the teeth.”
Surgery was scheduled for late 2021. During the procedure, Dr. Hernandez removed Suzanne’s remaining teeth and performed an alveoloplasty, a procedure to smooth out any irregularities in the jawbone in preparation for seeding implants. Dr. Hernandez placed five standard implants in Suzanne’s upper jaw, and Suzanne received her initial teeth from Dr. Hedger shortly thereafter.
“Suzanne loved her new smile, but all she kept noticing was her lower teeth,” Dr. Hernandez reports. “Not only was it an aesthetic concern, but her dentist also told me her lower teeth were starting to fail with many areas of recurrent decay. Suzanne indicated that she wanted to proceed with the Same Day Teeth protocol on her lower arch as well.”
Five months later, Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Hedger used the Same Day Teeth
protocol to restore Suzanne’s lower arch. Following a design consultation with Dr. Hedger, Suzanne’s failing lower teeth were removed and she was fit with implants.
“We used four standard implants in her lower jaw, and she received her initial teeth soon after,” Dr. Hernandez reports. “It’s been nearly a year since Suzanne received her final prostheses, and by her own account she’s ecstatic about her decision to move forward with our Same Day Teeth protocol.”
“I Smile a Lot”
“I love my new teeth,” Suzanne confirms. “They’re straight and white but not glaringly white because I was able to choose the tooth color and shape I wanted. For the first time in my life, I’m happy with my teeth, and I smile a lot more now because of it.”
Suzanne is just as thrilled with the providers who restored her smile.
“Dr. Hernandez is fabulous. I love her,” she raves. “She’s warm and friendly, and she listens to your concerns. She has a great bedside manner and everything else you would look for in a surgeon. Dr. Hedger is very friendly and knowledgeable; he’s able to answer any questions.
“I’m very pleased with everyone at Coastal Jaw Surgery. They’re very accommodating and pleasant. I highly recommend them.”
FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo
