Teeth in a Day at Pacific Park Family Dental
Hello there. I am Roman Zakhariya, and I'm a doctor at Pacific Park Family Dental. Today, we're going to discuss something known as teeth in a day.
What is teeth in a day?
It's another term we use in dentistry when we want to label something. Let's discuss this. When we offer teeth in a day, it's the idea that you're coming in with something that is no longer usable, and we perform certain procedures to ensure you leave with usable teeth. In this case, we are discussing implants. Typically, it's four to six implants that we place that same day. That same day, we're going to convert a specific denture to be fixed in your mouth so you can actually use it. This is why it's called teeth in a day. You come in with something broken, and you leave with something fixed.
When is someone a good candidate for teeth in a day?
This is a very interesting question. Anybody is a good candidate who is, of course, willing to restore their teeth in one day with implants. Sometimes we don't have enough bone, which can preclude or limit some people from getting teeth in a day. It doesn't mean that they're not a great candidate for implants. It might mean we have to take a little longer than a day to get everything sorted out.
When is someone not a good candidate for teeth in a day?
Someone who doesn't have a lot of bone to place implants into, but more importantly, someone who has soft or rubbery bone. When we're placing an implant, we expect that implant to twist into the bone with a certain force. If someone has softer bone, it means that when we're placing that implant, it's not torquing into the bone at the right spec. In those instances, we have to put the gum over the implant and let everything heal for a few months, then resume our treatment once the implants have integrated.
What are the pros and cons of teeth in a day?
Pros: teeth in one day. Cons: surgery. You may know that surgery comes with its own drawbacks, such as pain and discomfort, and that is fine. Anytime you do implants, it's going to involve surgery. But the fact that you can come in with something broken and leave with something nice and fixed is already a huge benefit. Oftentimes, that outweighs all the negative sides.
What are the advantages of teeth in a day versus dentures?
When we talk about teeth in a day, we are referring to something that is not removable from your mouth. We place implants and fix a specific bridge into your mouth, and they become your teeth. You can't remove them, but you can eat and talk with them. You will never be able to take them out of your mouth and put them in a cup. The good part is they'll never rattle in your mouth, and you'll never stumble speaking, as dentures tend to go everywhere.
This teeth-in-a-day solution is fixed to you, so you'll never feel uncomfortable. Dentures are known to be uncomfortable, cause blisters in the mouth, and need to be removed at night. If you leave them in a restaurant or your dog chews them up, you need new dentures. That just doesn't happen with teeth in a day because it's not possible.
What is involved in the process of getting teeth in a day?
Great question. First, the patient has to be willing to undergo treatment and go through the consults, measurements, and scans so the case can be planned. Once it's planned, the person comes in the morning for their surgery. They're either sedated or numbed, teeth are removed, implants are placed, and the procedure is conducted throughout the day. At the end of the day, that person gets some teeth to leave home with.
Is teeth in a day procedure painful?
There is an interesting story I have to share. Some patients come to me and say, "Doctor, the root canals are the most painful thing you can do." And then I tell them, "Well, we should do one because I need one." They are scared and terrified. I tell them, if you are in pain, we're going to handle the pain first and handle the tooth next. How does that sound? That sounds great. When we do that, people are happy because we first prioritize patients' experience and then the dentistry. I know that dentistry will always get done, as I have done this multiple times. But my primary concern is that my patient has a good experience.
So is it painful to get these things done? It's not painful with me because I'm taking care of how you feel throughout the procedure. If we need to stop, get you more numb, or get you more sedated, we're going to do that. We'll stop and address these concerns. Once these concerns are addressed, you're comfortable and happy, and I can proceed with my work.
What anesthesia options are available during the teeth in a day procedure?
One option available is simply numbing. Once I have numbed you, I can work. There have been multiple cases in my practice where I get the patient numb, we pull the teeth, do the implants, and we're just chatting throughout the procedure because they're comfortable and numb. There have been instances where I had to sedate a patient because they didn't want to be awake for that, and that's fine too. We sedate the patient, get them numb anyway because we don't want them to feel anything while they're sleeping, and then we do our surgery. Both of those work fine.
How long does it typically take to heal from getting a tooth in a day?
It really depends on the person. Usually, within a week, people can function and start to chew a little bit. I have had patients who come in today, we do our surgery, and tomorrow they're back at work. I have had patients who we do the surgery today, and they take a week off because they just want a break. Both of those are fine. However, the post-operative pain is usually maybe two out of 10 discomfort, three out of 10 discomfort, but never full-blown pain after surgery.
How long do the teeth in a day last? Will I need to have them replaced?
One of the things we do at Pacific Park Family Dental is, once we get you those teeth the first day, we tell you that this is not your permanent solution. When we are putting in teeth in a day, there are many factors to consider. For example, how thick are the front teeth supposed to be? How forward or backward or what's the tilt on those teeth has to be for you to be happy aesthetically, for you to be able to speak, and for you to bite accurately or appropriately. The first set of teeth in a day is a trial run. It's something you get to keep for a few months until you heal.
We have a few follow-up appointments where we finish our measurements, discuss any aesthetic changes you would like, and make those changes, giving you another set of teeth. Once you're happy with those, we convert that particular prosthesis into a final zirconia piece that you get to keep for the rest of your life.
Are there any special instructions for caring for my new teeth?
Yes, we tell patients to get an irrigator. A water pick works just fine. It is important to brush your new teeth. However, we also want to irrigate under the teeth because now it's a bridge. It's not every individual tooth implanted into your gums and bone. Once people irrigate, there's no problem. It's kept clean for a long time.
We also see our patients every six months to demount that bridge to clean the implants, clean under the bridge, make sure the gums are happy and healthy, place it back, seal everything, and see you again in six months for a recall.
What are the costs of getting teeth in a day, and are there financial options available?
This question is very interesting. Many dental practices that offer teeth in a day will present a lower price, but will only stop at the first set of teeth in a day. If that set is imperfect or breaks, they don't give you a replacement, and they never get you to the zirconia teeth. If you want something better, they will charge you another $5,000 or $10,000 per arch to achieve a nice result.
At Pacific Park Family Dental, we said no, we're going to do a package price. This includes going from tooth extraction to the final zirconia prosthesis, and of course, we warranty that thing, so you can use it with no fear of breaking it. Even if you break it, not a big deal. We've got all your information. We'll just mail you a new one. We want to ensure our patients are taken care of. The entire package costs $20,000 per arch.
Will insurance help with the cost of getting teeth in a day?
Sometimes the insurance can contribute in a few separate instances, but usually, the insurance is exhausted pretty quickly because this treatment is comprehensive and all-inclusive and has to be paid upfront. Typically, the insurance contributes maybe $2,000 to $3,000, and that's it. The rest is financed or paid out of pocket.
How can I schedule an appointment with my dentist to see if a treatment is right for me?
Please give us a call at the office at (360) 803-3546 and ask for Dr. Roman. I will be your treating doctor, and we can discuss this further.