Smile Today!
Our advanced Smile Today procedure is a hybrid prosthesis that gives you fully functioning teeth, within days! We begin with capturing digital images of your teeth and jaw to generate a 3D model from which your entire surgical procedure is planned precisely before your surgical visit. Once your implants have been placed, a digital capture is completed of their positioning. From here, a custom designed and milled prosthesis is made here in our office laboratory within days of your surgery. You will leave the day of your surgery with a removable prosthesis. You’ll follow-up with us within 24-48 hours to have a custom provisional prosthesis delivered and adjusted to your bite. Dr. Stapleton will have the opportunity to review protocols and check your healing at the same time. As extensive effort goes into providing you a smooth, hiccup-free process, we’ve found that providing the delayed provisional creates the best outcome for everyone involved! Smile Today cuts down the time you need to be in our office and allows you to get a better prothesis much more quickly. iDENTity Dental Studio is proud of our workflow and believe it provides one of the best outcomes in the Central Kentucky region, if not the entire state! After your initial visits, you will heal for 4-6 months before your definitive restoration and smile are created. We’re here for you during the entire process!
Dental Implants
Dental implants look, feel, and act like your natural teeth. Generally, dental implants are very difficult to discern the difference from your natural teeth. Getting them is a multi-step process that ultimately helps you live life confidently knowing you have permanent teeth that can’t come loose or fall out if you bite down too hard.
Implants fill in gaps of one or more missing teeth and provide a base for dentures or bridges when there aren’t enough natural teeth left in your mouth to do so. Though artificial, dental implants bond to your natural jawbone to become a part of you. They preserve the bone you already have and actually stimulate new bone growth, culminating in a stronger jaw.
The process itself is simple, though time-consuming, and involves several steps that take months to complete.
- Extraction. If you still have a broken or decayed tooth in the site where your implant is set to you, Dr. Stapleton will remove it.
- Surgical Prep. Dr. Stapleton will prepare your mouth ready for surgery. Teeth may be shaved to make room for the implant, or bone may need to be grafted.
- Grafting. If you’ve experience bone loss in your jaw, new bone from a secondary source will be grafted to create a strong base for the dental implant.
- Placement. A metal post is drilled into your jawbone in preparation for your implant. A temporary, removable tooth can be placed over it.
- Wait. Now you need to wait while your jaw heals and new bone starts to grow. This can take several months.
- Abutment. With your bone and implant healed, Dr. Stapleton will get your mouth ready for the abutment and crown portion of the process. This is how your new tooth will connect to your implant.
- New Teeth. If in the future you lose addition teeth, we may be able to utilize this implant to place multiple teeth. A properly placed, modern two-piece implant is serviceable and capable of being used for different types of prostheses.
The result of dental implants is a long-lasting and natural-looking smile with teeth that function like the real thing. Implant surgery is safe and effective when performed by a trained dentist with surgical experience, and side effects are rare.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a simple, outpatient procedure with lasting results. When a tooth has been damaged due to injury or decay, there may not be enough natural tooth left to hold a crown in place. Lengthening ensures the crown affixes firmly to your tooth and remains secure even when eating and drinking.
Depending on your unique situation, Dr. Stapleton may request that you see a periodontist colleague who will perform this surgical procedure. Not always, but sometimes the extra special care is needed. Dr. Stapleton will share with you when it’s beyond something that completed with iDENTity Dental Studio. In either scenario, we’re here with you throughout the process.
- Gum Incision. During surgery, Dr. Stapleton will cut into the gum surrounding the tooth that is being lengthened.
- Removal. Small portions of the gum are removed to expose more of your natural tooth, allowing a larger area for the crown to adhere to after healing is complete.
- Tooth Reshaping. If needed, Dr. Stapleton will reshape your tooth in preparation for your crown. This is not always necessary, Dr. Stapleton will make the determination.
- Healing Time. It can take up to three months for your mouth to heal. During that time, a temporary crown may be affixed, and you can eat and drink with some slight modification to your diet.
- Final Crown. Once healing is complete, Dr. Stapleton may need to make new impressions to have your final restorations made. Once the final crown or crowns are made, they are cemented in place with ease. You may need to be numbed, but it is much less work than you have already been through!
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting restores smiles and makes your mouth functional again. It’s an in-office procedure that rebuilds your mouth from the bone up. When tooth decay or injury result in bone loss along the jaw line, bone material is used to build it back up. The effect is a stronger jawbone that can easily hold dental implants, dentures, and bridges.
Though bone grafting in and of itself is not complicated, the procedure takes several steps and several more months from start to finish. Most of that time is spent healing and waiting for new bone to grow. Once bone grafting is complete, you’ll have a healthier mouth and a more beautiful smile.
The first step to a successful bone graft is knowing what to expect.
- Bone Matters. New bone can’t grow on its own, you need bone material from a secondary source. Dr. Stapleton will discuss the multiple options with you and help you pick the right one.
- New Bone. It takes several months to heal from the grafting procedure. During that time, the donor material adheres to your natural bone and new bone begins to grow.
- Final Placement. Once your bone has finished growing, a dental implant can be placed in your jaw. From there, dentures or bridges can be added as needed.
- Transplant. Sometimes bone is taken from your own mouth, but more often freeze-dried bone from other sources are utilized. These bone chips serve as a scaffold as you heal and are completely replaced by your own native bone within 6-8 months. This procedure is completely safe and most commonly performed.
Bone grafting is a long process, but the end result is well worth the time invested. It’s an excellent option for any patient with mild to severe bone loss. You’ll walk away with bone that is all yours, a mouth that functions normally, and teeth that look natural.
Post-Op Care
Great care should be taken to follow all postoperative instructions given specific to your procedure. Check-ups and maintenance may be recommended to ensure your new smile is healing and reduce problems. All pain medication should be taken as directed and dental routines followed, including brushing and flossing your teeth at least once a day. Temporary linings or tissue conditioners will be required to create an optimal fit and may need to be adjusted or replaced a number of times during the healing period. A permanent reline will be required to ensure a comfortable and an exact fit after you have completed the healing process.
If you have prosthesis connected to your implants immediately following the surgery, it is imperative that you follow a restrictive diet and hygiene instructions to ensure no damage occurs during to the healing implants and bone beneath your temporary teeth.
