Computer Guided Implant Surgery Bone Augmentation Dentist

James Sanderson, DMD
Maxilla - Mandible Makeover
1633 Montgomery Hwy, Suite 5
Birmingham, AL 35216
(205) 979-6005

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Alabama Teeth In An Hour

Full Mouth Smile Makeover - Virtual Treatment Planning

Case History Outline

Nobel Guide Dental Implant Placement Birmingham Mobile Alabama AL

Non Aesthetic Dysfunctional Dentures

Poor Occlusion - Design

Edentulous Maxilla - Mandible

Click Picture for Live Surgery Video Film Clip

New Teeth Lower Jaw Prosthesis

Cosmetic Upper Denture

Implant Supported Prosthodontic Teeth

Dentures without the Denture Look

Our patient had some unique dental treatment needs that stem from a not so unique set of circumstances that are shared.... probably by a near-majority of families here in Birmingham and across the entire country.

Dental Needs versus Family Needs

Our patient came from a large family. As a child, she was raised in the common and popular environment where the family's ability to attend to and provide even the most basic care for oral health needs for the entire family took a back seat to other pressing needs.

It is common knowledge that dental problems, if not treated within a certain time frame however, tend to increase rapidly and will eventually cause other problems affecting even more teeth in terms of occlusion, infection, tooth breakage, uneven bite, etc.

By the time our patient reached early adulthood her dental health needs were quite pervasive and basically non-restorable. Her healthiest option at that time was to secure dentures.

Old Fashioned Dentures look like Dentures

That was quite a few years ago. As time wore on, the patient became disenchanted with how her dentures appeared and functioned overall. As can be seen in the adjacent photos, the dentures look like dentures.

Notice too how the biting surfaces of her upper denture seem to be crooked. Old fabrication methods and outdated denture materials caused uneven wear and eventually caused the appearance of a crooked smile.

At the time our patient presented in our office her goal was to have teeth that looked good, felt good and functioned normally. Over the years she lost the confidence to smile. Having the ability to smile spontaneously and without reservation was something she had missed for years.

She, like most denture wearers, sustained significant bone loss in certain areas of her lower jaw.

During the occlusal analysis, it was determined by Dr. Sanderson that she could achieve her goal of having a rock solid prosthesis created for her lower jaw that would enable her continued use of a standard, but cosmetic grade of upper denture.

3-D Cone Beam Imaging Diagnostics

Long term denture use inevitably leads to bone loss in both the upper and lower jaws. The lower jaw, or mandible, typically sustains more loss than the upper. The patient was already at the point where her lower gums were painful most of the time.

The doctors obtained a 3-Dimensional scan that provided the technical data and the ability to assess and determine specifically what areas of the jaw bone material would require preparatory treatment. (Click here to watch a short video demonstration of the I-Cat Cone Beam Scanner.)

The lower prosthesis (fixed bridge) was designed to require the use of 5 Nobel Biocare titanium implants. The infrastructure of the prosthesis is also crafted from titanium.

The 3-D imagery enabled the Dr. Sanderson and Dr. Sims (Periodontist) to select the healthiest areas of the lower jaw bone that would provide the best in long term osseointegration. The implant sites were fortified with bone and tissue grafting as needed.

Once the virtual treatment planning process was completed, the technical data was forwarded to the Nobel Biocare laboratories for creating the patient's custom NobelGuide that was used for the preparation and placement of the implant devices that would secure the new prosthesis.

The fixed prosthesis and upper denture were fabricated from cosmetic grade acrylic products, based on the patient's specifications for the cosmetic Smile Line (Rule of Golden Proportions) she wanted along with a personalized tooth size relationship that would best complement her facial characteristics.

Functional and Aesthetic Full Mouth Makeover

The extra attention to aesthetic detail demonstrated by the patient produced a functional and cosmetic outcome that is quite striking.

The near immediate changes in function and appearance produced a behavioral outcome that is commonly known as a "makeover experience." Our patient underwent changes in self esteem and self confidence that produced even more change.

Within a matter of days the patient got rid of her eyeglasses, restyled her hair, changed her mode of dress and more importantly, smiles broadly, whenever the opportunity arises.

Our last photo shows off this dramatic change and the changes resulting from adding height to her overall bite. The patient's upper lip positioning and movements have been changed, eliminating the appearance of a collapsing smile.

These cumulative changes have added length to the lower face, removed the wrinkling effects of her old, forced smile .... producing what is popularly called a dental facelift.