It’s true! If you want no more dentures, then dental implants may be your solution in Dr Lance Timmerman’s office. In some cases, the “all-on-four” approach may save you both time and money. Instead of 8-10 implants on the upper arch and 6-8 implants on the lower arch, in some cases 4 implants is enough.
This process is a “graftless option”, meaning if the sinus cavity is large enough to prevent implants in a more ideal or perpendicular location, or the lower jaw nerve (the inferior alveolar) is too close to the surface, an angled implant may allow the attachment of the restoration to the implants to be spread out enough to give adequate stability and support.
It is very important to be sure that this approach is appropriate. Not ALL cases can be done this way, and if a single implant fails, the entire case fails. Normally this means one or two implants need to be redone and can succeed at that point, but this does add time to the equation, usually a factor of MONTHS. This can be frustrating to both the patient AND the dentist.
Some places advertise “teeth in a day” but this can be misleading. Often, the patient will walk out with some FORM of teeth, but it is not the final restoration. A more accurate description is “Temporary teeth in a day” as the patient will need to return in the future, after everything has healed, to get their final set of teeth.
This all comes down to the first visit. After ALL records are collected (CBCT or 3D/conebeam image, photographs, impressions), then Dr Timmerman can plan and design your case. While the surgery may only take a short time, there is a LOT of work done “behind the scenes” to deliver world class care.
