Our implant treatment is different in three ways …

First, we at Clearchoice only use implants and the components from Nobel Biocare. This company is the leader in the implant industry, and was established by the inventor of titanium implants – Dr Branemark. They have the most extensive research and development of titanium implants, setting the standard for implant dentistry.

Second, ClearChoice implant procedures are designed to save our patients time and money by providing quality treatment in a shorter time frame, with extensive collaboration between our implant specialists on our staff, and the utmost attention to details. Implant treatment is provided only by specialists: an Oral Surgeon to place the implants, a Prosthodontist to replace the teeth, and a Master Laboratory Technician to manufacture the teeth. And since all these specialists are under one roof, we can provide high quality implant treatment with maximum efficiency and attention to detail. ClearChoice utilizes high technology equipment, including an I-CAT CT scanner and CAD/CAM laboratory instrumentation, to plan and produce a dental prosthesis that is accurate and precise. And in most cases, this is done in a one-day procedure that limits trauma to the patients with minimum surgery and timely production of the restoration.

Third, no matter what the condition of your mouth, at Clearchoice we can remove damaged teeth, eliminate periodontal disease, place implants into the bone, and give you a fixed (solid) set of teeth, in most situations, in a one-day. Our procedure incorporates initial implant stability in the bone which gives us the ability to attach a set of teeth to the newly placed titanium implants, and allows the patient to leave the office with beautiful and functional teeth that are fixed in place. The patient can leave the center that day and immediately begin smiling naturally and can become active again, without worrying about their teeth. For the first several weeks, diet will need to be restricted to those foods you can cut with a fork, in order to avoid stressing the implants. But soon you will be eating all your favorite foods as you would with normal teeth.

Since the new teeth are attached to the implants, there no pain from the prosthesis rubbing against the gums (as there is with dentures), because all the pressure from chewing is transmitted directly to the bone without rubbing on the gum tissue. Thus, there are no return trips to the doctor’s office for relief of pressure sores as there are with dentures. And the procedure can be completed in a one-day – saving significant time and money compared to conventional procedures that require multiple appointments spread over many months and often more than a year.
 

For most of our patients, a full set of implant-supported replacement teeth can be done in only one day.
Of course, a full examination is first necessary to fully assess your individual situation and dental condition. After evaluating your panoramic x-ray and a 3D CT bone scan, your local team of ClearChoice doctors will determine if you have the right amount of bone and are a qualified candidate for implants to be placed and teeth connected to them on the same day (what we call “immediate function”). At that exam, all the x-rays, impressions, photographs, and everything else necessary for your treatment are taken and prepared so that your next visit to the office is your one-day treatment.

At ClearChoice, we use proven protocols and techniques, and have specialists with unique experience in treating patients that need a full arch (or two arches) of teeth replaced, and we usually accomplish this in one day. We have very high success rates (95%), and perform more of these types of procedures in our ClearChoice Centers across the U.S. than any other organization.

One of the best parts of my job is to see people come into the office in the morning with failing or missing teeth, and leave in the afternoon with a beautiful new set of teeth (not dentures). The most touching moment is when their new teeth are completed and placed, and we hand them a mirror to see their new smile for the first time. Many tears of joy are often shed, even by grown men. And certainly, many lives are changed!
 

First, dental procedures, understandably, can create anxiety and fear in some people. We all have heard the stories about how everyone ‘hates to go to the dentist’. Many times those fears are based on the fact that, despite many trips to the dentist and the outlay of significant funds, people continue to have problems and need to have continual treatment. Sometimes this treatment can be lengthy, time consuming and painful. Since most dental disease is chronic and has the ability to reoccur, people become fearful and frustrated – it’s like they are on the ‘dental merry-go-round’ and just can’t get off. Sometimes people’s teeth get in the way of them getting what they want – be it a gorgeous smile, a more active lifestyle or the freedom from pain and dental problems. The power of the All-On-Four procedure is that it provides freedom – freedom from many of the chronic dental diseases that badger people over time, produce needless suffering and pain and deplete financial resources; freedom from dental fear.

Secondly, the power of the All-On-Four is that this procedure can be completed in one appointment – the bad teeth can be removed, implants placed and new teeth attached to the implants, all in the same day. Because our surgeons are Oral Surgeons, specialists in surgery and anesthesia, these procedures can be accomplished in a comfortable environment, under sedation – you go to sleep with bad teeth and wake up later with new teeth–and gone are all those chronic problems associated with failing teeth. People fear the dentist many times because of bad experiences with pain and discomfort during dental procedures. With sedation provided by our surgical specialists, those ‘bad experiences’ are a thing of the past.

About twenty years ago, a 91 year old gentleman came into my office with his middle aged son. The son was concerned because his father, who was still an active ballroom dancer, had lost some lower teeth and did not want to be dancing with a denture in his mouth. He wanted dental implants. The son was concerned with two things: the expense and whether his father was too old for implants. “Is it worth it to do?” the son asked, “after all, he’s not the youngest guy”. But then he quickly bragged at how active his father was. In fact, there appeared not to be adequate time to complete the consultation, for they had to hurry to a dance recital at the local community center.

I quickly explained the procedure and determined that given his excellent health he should go forward with the treatment. The son was skeptical but the father said, “I’m ready to go. Let’s do it tomorrow!”

I didn’t see them again for several months. Another tooth had been lost and the two men walked into the office red-faced and cranky. They had been arguing about what was best for the father. The son’s viewpoint was protective. The dental implant procedure was surgery, after all, and it was expensive. The father’s viewpoint was, “I don’t care about pain or swelling that I might or might not have, nor the cost” he said, “I have the money for what I want and I want this”.

I sheepishly listened to the debate, not saying too much until finally they came to a resolution and agreed to the proposed treatment. Dr. Carl Brownd, the skilled ClearChoice Prosthodontist now in Las Vegas, Nevada, was chosen to replace the teeth and I placed the implants. The surgery was uneventful and Dr. Brownd subsequently restored the teeth to the great satisfaction of both the father and the son.

I wondered, though, about the father-if all would be well; how long he would live? Was the treatment really worth it to him? Three years later they returned to the office. No appointment had been made. They were in the area and wanted to just drop by.
I happily greeted them in the hallway and invited them into my office for a visit. “How are you doing? Are your teeth ok?” “Oh yes, just great” the old man said. “I’m 94, almost 95” he said with a smile. He was a diminutive man with a tan face and freckled nose, his thinning hair combed straight back. “Pappa was been doing great” the son said, beaming. “The implants were well worth it to both of us”. I looked into their faces with a sense of shock and surprise. But there were tears in the old man’s eyes and I wondered, “Does it mean that much to him?” Then he let out a little sob and said, “My partner’s gone.” “His dance partner”, the son said, saying her name, which I forgot now.