“Ken was diagnosed with rare disorders called Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Odontogenesis Imperfecta when he was a child. As a result of these disorders, Ken’s dental condition deteriorated over the years requiring frequent dental treatment. Read blog about Dental Implant Treatment with an AvaDent Prosthesis.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta:
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a rare disorder affecting the connective tissue and characterized by extremely fragile brittle bones that break or fracture easily, often without apparent cause. The specific symptoms and physical findings associated with OI vary greatly from case to case. The severity of OI also varies greatly, even among individuals in the same family.
Odontogenesis Imperfecta is a developmental disturbance of one or of several adjacent teeth, characterized by deficient formation of enamel and dentin. Such teeth exhibit delayed eruption into the oral cavity.
Ken’s Viewpoint:
In an interview, Ken explained how he came to Pi Dental Center and described his viewpoint about the dental treatment he received from Dr. Balshi, Dr. Wolfinger and the clinical team.
Ken began by describing his early dental treatment, “I went to a cosmetic dentist. We tried braces when I was very little. It wound up making most of my teeth very loose. So we took the braces off and went through the entire process of letting them get reaffirmed. So that was the last time my mom, my dad, or I tried to fix it, because of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta. At least that is what we were told.”
“I started reading about dental implants. I went to a dentist who said, ‘No, this is not the way to go.’ He suggested crowns, a million dollar smile and said I would be good for the rest of my life. They were not.”
Indicating Pi Dental Center, Ken said, “That was when I sought you out. I started doing research, and my sister-in-law, who worked for Pi Dental Center, said that is exactly what he does, he pioneered it. That summed it up for me.”
Ken had six implants placed in the maxillary arch using the guided implant surgical procedure and All-On-Four® treatment in the mandible. Pi Dental Center provided AvaDent Tissue Integrated Prostheses (TIP) for the upper and lower arches.
The Final Teeth:
Mr. Swinehart talked about the look and comfort of his final teeth in comparison to his temporaries, “Esthetically everything is fantastic. The most significant thing for me was how the teeth felt. With the temporary prosthesis, I used to be able to feel flex, whether it was eating pizza or steak. Not movement, just flexing. I don’t feel any of that now. Where I thought it couldn’t feel any better than it did, it feels that much better. I don’t feel that flexing anymore.”
“These feel like they have been my teeth since birth. I’ve had absolutely no issues. I’ve gone through plenty of steak, lots of beef brisket, when I was down in Memphis, corn on the cob, you name it. I don’t feel hampered by anything. Including some of the frozen stuff that I was known for breaking my temporary appliance for, I’ve been able to get through without any damage. Steve told me, ‘Go do everything.’ Chocolate chip ice cream – I went through the whole gamut.”
“I am happy for myself and I am happy that I found the doctor who could fix my issues.”
A Team Approach:
Dr. Balshi mentioned, “It’s not just the doctor, it’s the entire team including the staff, the laboratory support, the engineering, the behind the scenes, the stuff that’s going on in Scottsdale with AvaDent, and in the Netherlands with the AvaDent technology. It takes a lot to put this all together including the robots.”
Ken agreed, “But you’re right, it does take a team. I have never ever felt better or in better hands as a patient regardless of who I saw while I was here. Be it yourself, or Dr. Wolfinger, or Stephen, or whoever has come into the room.”
“There is one thing that sticks out, that my parents wanted me to tell you that they’ve seen. I’ve always thought that I’ve been self-confident to the point of cocky, regardless of what my smile looked like. The one thing that they’ve picked up on, that I wouldn’t see from the inside out, is the self-confidence and the amount of smiling that I do now versus before. Before, I was just very restrained because I was so insecure of my smile.”
“I was looking for ways to cover it up, glass in front of the mouth, napkin in front of the face, or hand over the mouth, whatever had to be done. I don’t do that stuff anymore. I know I’m not doing that stuff anymore. So, now, there is an outward self-confidence that I don’t think people see as cockiness. Because people can see that I’m smiling. I’m 46 years old, if I don’t do it now, I never will.”
To learn more about AvaDent Dental Implant Supported Prostheses, treatment for people with congenital dental disorders or guided dental implant treatment, contact us at (215) 646-6334.
Very informative blog. I came across this concept about AvaDent Prostheses for the upper and lower arches, when I took my son for tooth treatment toBozeman Dentist in Montana. It is the best methos for dental implants treatment.