Smile Again After Crowns, Implants, Bridge

It’s one thing to buy a house sight unseen. In fact, with the internet allowing for virtual tours and potential buyers leaning on real estate agents and home inspectors to check out properties for them, more and more people are doing just that these days.

It’s not the same with hotels. Before adding a property to its chain, major hoteliers want to know the physical condition the hotel is in and whether it’s managed well or needs an overhaul of staff. It’s Terry Hall’s job to make those evaluations.
“I’m like a secret shopper,” says Terry, 55. “I travel all over the country analyzing hotels for purchase, seeing what, if anything, needs to be done to raise the standards. I look at things like cleanliness and quality levels.”
A former commercial and residential interior designer, Terry took on the position about seven years ago. He’s been on the road almost every week since, sometimes traveling to as many as three cities in a week.
Despite the busy schedule, Terry always finds time to visit his dentist. He admits to being a bit obsessive about his dental care, noting that he gets his teeth cleaned every eight weeks. That’s largely in an effort to protect the investment he’s made in them.
“Quite some time ago, I had some work done and there was more that had to be done after that, but I kept putting it off,” Terry explains. “My dentist finally talked me into getting the work done and did such a great job that I want to take care of it.
“I look at my teeth now the way you would a car. I think it’s smart to get regular maintenance done so that if a problem arises you can take care of it before it’s too late. I want to make sure everything is done right. That’s why I see Dr. Farag.”
Katrine A. Farag, DMD, and her husband, Joseph H. Farag, DMD, are the practitioners at Advanced Dentistry of Fort Myers, where Terry was a patient before the Farags took over several years ago.
“I think one of the reasons Terry was a little hesitant to get that extra work done was because he had some dental anxiety,” Dr. Katrine Farag explains. “He had some serious issues as well, and he finally agreed to let us take care of them.

Bridging the Gap

The extensive treatment plan was devised largely to alleviate problems caused by smoking, a habit Terry gave up in recent years but not before it caused some irreversible damage to his bottom front teeth.
“When we examined those teeth, we found that they were badly infected, so much so that we had to extract them,” Dr. Farag reports. “The infection was so deep that there was virtually no bone left in that area.”
The lack of bone all but eliminated using dental implants as an option for replacing those four teeth, so Dr. Farag opted for a bridge. Terry and Dr. Farag were both pleased with the results.
“Aesthetically, the bridge looks just as good as implants would have,” Dr. Farag states. “From a treatment standpoint, the bridge was the better choice because the surgery we would have had to do to fit Terry with implants would have been extensive.”

“For a guy who has a bit of dental anxiety, I appreciate how comfortable and relaxed they make you feel.” – Terry

Dental implants are root-shaped, screw-like bodies that are surgically placed into the jawbone. Once the implant is in the jawbone, new bone naturally grows around it to form the foundation for an abutment and replacement teeth.
The replacement teeth can be a single crown that is cemented 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.
Prior to placing an implant, some patients require a bone grafting procedure that is designed to enhance the volume of the jawbone so it can properly support the implant. The amount of time needed for the bone development is about three months.
Bone grafts are not always necessary, but with patients who have been missing teeth for many years, a graft is sometimes required because bone mass deteriorates when there is no pressure from chewing to stimulate natural bone regeneration.
Bone grafts are typically done at the time the implants are seated. The implants then need three to six months to heal to a point where they can support a prosthetic. During the healing period, patients are usually fit with temporary replacement teeth.

“Top-Notch” Care

Implants were not a good option for Terry’s lower front teeth, but they were a perfect fix for two other failing teeth, a lower right second bicuspid and a lower right second molar. The job of placing those implants fell to Dr. Joseph Farag.

Courtesy of Terry Hall Terry Hall

“The implant process is a lengthy one because it takes time for everything to heal, but it was worth it,” Terry says. “It feels like I have real teeth back there. I don’t need to worry about them at all anymore, which I appreciate.”
The tooth between the teeth that received implants was also failing, but Dr. Katrine Farag was able to save and restore it with a crown. Terry also received single crowns on top of the implants that replaced the second bicuspid and second molar.
“I’m very pleased with all the work that Dr. Farag and her husband did,” Terry concludes. “They are both very professional, and for a guy who has a bit of dental anxiety, I appreciate how comfortable and relaxed they make you feel.
“They’re very honest and upfront about everything they’re going to do for you, which I also appreciate. I recommend both, and their staffs are exceptional. From the moment you walk in the door, they make you feel welcome.
“Everyone is very friendly, and you can tell that they really care about you. They go out of their way to make sure everything is right for you, and they run on time. You can’t say that about too many places these days, but you can say it about them. They’re top-notch.”