Same Day Teeth®: A Game-Changer for Dean Bastian’s Dental Health and Confidence

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Dean Bastian

The popular TV series Mad Men ran for seven seasons on the AMC channel. The show starred Jon Hamm as protagonist Don Draper, who was the creative director for a fictional Manhattan-based advertising agency during the 1960s. Dean Bastian was a real-life Don Draper. For 30 years, he was an ad agency creative director tasked with building campaigns for his clients. “My job was to come up with ideas for television commercials,” Dean details. “I then produced the commercials, edited them and got them on the air. It was just like Mad Men. One of the agencies mentioned a lot toward the end of the series was McCann Erickson. I worked there.” Dean’s advertising career spanned 10 years on New York’s Madison Avenue and another 20 in Chicago. “As far as lifestyle, Chicago was probably better; but in terms of the work, New York was definitely more interesting,” Dean observes. “There were bigger clients and bigger opportunities in New York, but also a lot more pressure.” Dean left Chicago for Knoxville, Tennessee, where he stayed 13 years. He and his wife then moved to Tampa in 2020 to be closer to his wife’s parents. Now 70 and retired since 2017, Dean fills his free time playing golf, exercising and reading. He’s also a skilled home chef and does quite a bit of cooking. But in recent years, ongoing problems with his teeth made it difficult for Dean to eat the food he prepared. “The issues with my teeth started when I was about 10 or 11 years old, after my two front teeth were knocked out in a sledding accident,” Dean recounts. “Those teeth were expertly replaced, but the trauma to my mouth continued. Over time, I developed multiple cavities and abscesses, and underwent root canals, crowns and bridgework. Then, within the last 10 years, I developed gum disease. “My eating was restricted for a long time. I had to really consider what food I could prepare or order because of my failing teeth. I was also starting to lose teeth, so I decided to get dental implants.” Dental implants are root-shaped, screw-like bodies that are surgically placed into the jawbone, where new bone naturally grows around them to form the foundation for an abutment and replacement teeth. The replacement teeth 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 prosthesis that can be fastened to a series of implants.

Double Duty

After relocating to Florida, Dean conducted an internet search for dental providers who could replace his teeth with implants and discovered Coastal Jaw Surgery, which offers a novel smile restoration process called Same Day Teeth®. Same Day Teeth allows for the placement of dental implants and new teeth on the same day. According to Michael A. Pikos, DDS, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and the founder of Coastal Jaw Surgery, the innovative treatment restores the aesthetic appearance of the smile and provides optimal functionality. At Coastal Jaw Surgery, Dean met with Nicole Hernandez, DDS, MD, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and Philip J. Hedger, DMD, a prosthodontist. Dr. Hernandez performs the implant surgery, and Dr. Hedger designs the permanent teeth, focusing on shape, size and color to match them to the patient’s face.

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Now retired, Dean fills his free time with golf, exercise and reading.

“When Mr. Bastian first came to us, he presented with decayed and periodontally compromised teeth in both the upper and lower arch,” Dr. Hernandez recalls. “We proposed Same Day Teeth for him.” On the day of surgery, the Same Day Teeth process starts with a patient interview to ensure the patient has followed all the guidelines to safely receive deep sedation. Those guidelines include eating and drinking nothing prior to the procedure and having a driver present for the ride home. After the interview is completed, an IV is started to provide anesthesia to the patient and the surgery begins. “The surgery itself begins with the extraction of any remaining nonrestorable teeth,” Dr. Hernandez explains. “In this case, we then performed an alveoloplasty, which is a smoothing of the bone to get the appropriate contour and height. “Once I reach the midpoint of the surgery, Dr. Hedger comes in, takes impressions, and gathers information to send to our laboratory. The lab fabricates the temporary prosthesis that the patient receives on postop day number two. “Next, we placed four traditional implants in the upper jawbone and four implants in the lower jawbone. “We then gave Mr. Bastian new teeth that are fixed and screwed onto the implants for a nice aesthetic result and optimal function.”

“Fabulous” Results

The Same Day Teeth protocol calls for patients to receive two sets of teeth. The first is a temporary set that the patient wears for a month or two while the mouth heals from the surgery. The second is the permanent set of teeth. Dean says the process was “seamless” and defines the outcome as “fabulous.” “My new teeth look better than my original teeth,” he enthuses. “I’m not self-conscious about my smile now, and I was to a degree before. But the biggest life change for me is, I don’t have to think about what I can eat anymore. I can eat anything I want.” Dean stresses that both of the providers he worked with at Coastal Jaw Surgery were “absolutely fantastic.” “Dr. Hedger is a perfectionist,” he says. “He worked very hard to give me the best smile he could. And Dr. Hernandez did a great job. I feel like I got the best of the best. I’d recommend them without question.”