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Page 6 | Brevard Health Care News | Winter 2009 Implant, CosmetIC, and General dentIstry
Mini-Implants, Maximum Stability
On November 30, 2008, Troy Dorski left for Iraq. Mini-implants
that takes place, the top of the implant
“I didn’t want to leave with my mouth in the condition it was in,” is uncovered, and replacement teeth are “Initially, mini-implants were designed
confides the thirty-eight-year-old. “After spending over ten thousand attached to the implants. to be placed alongside conventional
dollars for crowns and root canals that failed, in January of ’08 I had Implant-supported dentures seemed implants to stabilize the denture while
to be the best solution for Troy; however, the conventional implants fused with the
the dentist pull all of my teeth and give me dentures.” there were two overwhelming problems. bone,” teaches Dr. Brown. “They were
Troy says the dentist also placed four mini-implants in the front “I was scheduled to leave for Iraq in less never meant to be long lasting, and by
of his lower jaw. than three months,” reminds Troy, “and the time they started to fail, the conven-
money was also an issue, so I spoke with Dr. tional implants would have integrated, so
“Unfortunately, the dentures were miserable; they moved around Brown about placing more mini-implants.” the case could be completed.
in my mouth and constantly sliced it open. Additionally, I found
that having the roof of my mouth covered was very uncomfortable
and really affected the taste of food. My dentures were so unsuccess-
ful that I just pretty much quit wearing them.”
Tooth loss can have a number of nega- and time involved.
tive effects on both physical and emotional “We spend enough time with
health, as well as on cosmetic appearance. our patients so that they can make
From a functional standpoint, bone tends educated decisions.”
to shrink and collapse following tooth loss.
For patients with remaining teeth, as more Dental implants
are lost, so is the ability to chew properly, A dental implant is an artificial replace-
resulting in the possibility of nutritional ment for the root of a tooth.
deficiencies and digestive problems. Also, “The implant provides a foundation
any remaining teeth tend to shift into on which permanent teeth or removable
the spaces that are created by those miss- teeth can be securely attached,” educates
ing teeth. As they shift, the resulting Dr. Brown. “Implants can prevent dete-
change in the bite further sets the stage rioration of the bone beneath the gums,
for possible temporomandibular joint which helps maintain the fullness of
(TMJ) problems. the face and provides a good bite. They
From a cosmetic standpoint, when also stimulate the bone, causing it to
teeth are present in their proper positions strengthen and grow.”
they serve to fill out the face. If back teeth Implants are a great option for
are lost, cheeks begin to sink inward, and denture-wearing patients who want to
when front teeth are lost, lips are prone to improve their dental health, comfort
recede. Then, as the bone that supported and function.
the tooth begins to shrink, the effect is “The implant-supported dentures have
accentuated, speeding up the appear- several advantages over a conventional
ance of aging. Additionally, as teeth are denture,” informs Dr. Brown. “A conven-
lost, people tend to smile less, produc- tional denture is supported primarily by
ing expressions that can be interpreted as tissue, allowing it a great deal of mobility.
indifferent, unhappy, or angry. This creates difficulty when chewing, talk-
For more information, please visit w
“After watching me go through all of this, ing and smiling. The implant-supported
my mom, Terry, gave me some good advice,” denture is secured directly to the bone at a
observes Troy. “She suggested that I see my number of points. This greatly reduces the
Grandpa Kalbasz’s dentist, Dr. Brown.” mobility of the denture. Patients are able
Clark F. Brown, Jr., DDS, is a com- to laugh, smile, and chew without the fear
prehensively trained and experienced of their dentures slipping out of place.
dentist who has practiced implant, cos- “Additionally, taste buds are found not
metic, and general dentistry in Melbourne only on the tongue but also on the roof of
for more than thirty years. the mouth. Because a conventional den-
In September, Troy scheduled an ture covers those nerve endings on the roof
appointment with Dr. Brown: “I wanted of the mouth, it affects not only the sense
to go to a dentist who has proven to my of taste but also of food temperature and
family that he knows what he’s doing texture, which play into the whole eating
with dentures, but even then I was pleas- experience. When supported by implants,
antly surprised. I was more impressed much of the portion of the upper denture
by Dr. Brown than I’ve been with any that covers the roof of the mouth can be
other dentist I’ve met in the state. I removed. This revives the sensations of
tend to go with first impressions, and taste and temperature, and increases the
both Dr. Brown’s knowledge and personal- overall pleasure of eating.”
ity came off great. The first stage in placing implants is
“One of the first things he did was get to determine the number, position, and
to know my personal background.” direction in which to lay the foundation of
“During my first consultation with dental implants to maximize success.
a new patient, I take a medical history,” The next stage is to place the implants.
describes Dr. Brown. “Then we go over These implants are made of titanium,
the types of problems the patient may be which is an extremely biocompatible
having and the goals he or she wants to material. It is a strong substance that has
achieve. A patient with dentures may want the ability to actually bond to the bone.
Here for you
to get rid of them altogether or may sim- This process is called osseointegration.
ply want the dentures comfortably secured. During the placement of implants, the
A patient with missing teeth may want a tissue over the implant site is opened to
fixed bridge or may prefer implants. expose the bone. A recipient space is cre- Dr. Brown looks forward to meeting the readers of
“Of course, we take x-rays, which ated in the bone close to the shape of the
enables me to see how much bone implant, and the implant is then placed Brevard Health Care News. For additional information or
a patient has, and then we sit down into the bone. The tissue is repositioned
together and discuss how we can reach and secured with sutures.
to schedule an appointment, please call (321) 259-9429.
his or her goals. We discuss what we It takes approximately four months The office is located at 2113 Sarno Rd. in Melbourne.
can achieve, other options, and the cost for the implant and bone to fuse. Once
Winter 2009 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 7
ClArk F. BrOwn, Jr., DDS, P.A.
“However, with some small but signif- placement, they are a lower-cost alter-
icant design changes, the mini-implants native to conventional implants. Third,
have been greatly improved. mini implants offer a far more immediate
“By slightly increasing their diam- result. To complete both the upper and
eters and adjusting their thread design, lower jaws, the procedure only requires
the strength of the mini-implants was approximately two and a half hours, and
increased by forty percent, and the success patients leave wearing their stabilized,
rate improved dramatically. Additionally, well-functioning dentures.
by creating cross-arch stabilization, where
implants are placed on both sides of the Tooth design
arch, we can further strengthen the mini- Dr. Brown began Troy’s treatment by
implants to the point that their success designing and creating a set of well-fit-
ting dentures. “There are many shapes,
styles, and colors of teeth that patients can
choose from,” acknowledges Dr. Brown.
“It is interesting, though, that teeth usually
conform to the shape of the person’s face,
whether it is round, oval, or square.
“Patients, of course, always have the
option to choose the shape of their new
restorations, and we try the teeth in wax
first so the patients can see how they will
actually look. At this point, we can make
any changes we may want to make before
completing the final restorations.”
Dr. Brown then placed six mini-
implants in the top arch of Troy’s mouth
and added two additional mini-implants
to the back of his lower jaw, making a
total of twelve. Because Dr. Brown per-
pHoTo CourTeSy of Dr. BrowN
forms both the surgical placement of the
implants and the design of the restora-
tion, the possibility of miscommunication
between the implant surgeon and the
restorative dentist is eliminated. He
knows exactly how to place each implant
and how to best utilize it to secure the
final denture.
At the same visit, the upper and lower
dentures were each modified with six
As Troy prepares to leave for Iraq, he feels much more
implant receptacles and the denture por- comfortable with his mini-implant-secured restorations.
ISToCkpHoTo.CoM
tion covering the roof of the mouth was
removed. Troy left with both dentures
A message from
securely in place and was able to enjoy
eating with them the same day.
www.drimplant.com.
IV Conscious Sedation
Dr. Brown offered Troy the option of Dr. Brown:
having IV conscious sedation during the First impressions are strong and lasting, and most people
placement of his implants. This level of interpret your smile as a reflection of your personality. A pleas-
sedation is often referred to as twilight
ing smile makes a very positive first impression on people,
rates are on par with those of conven- sleep. It allows the patient to be relaxed
tional implants.” and comfortable throughout treatment where a poor smile is often greeted with reservation and cau-
According to Dr. Brown, for replacing and usually results in no memories of the tion. Only if a relationship develops do we really get to know
a single tooth or a row of teeth, the con- dental procedures. Troy was not appre- the person behind the smile.
ventional implant is still the standard, but hensive about treatment and chose not to A 2004 scientific survey conducted at the Medical College of
for securing a denture, the mini-implant have the sedation.
offers several advantages. “There was absolutely no pain at all,” Wisconsin found that 99.7% of the respondents believe a smile
“First, traditional implants require remembers Troy. “The procedure was is an important social asset. The same survey found that 96% of
stable bone support to receive the implant. pretty uneventful.” adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appeal-
For a patient with significant bone loss, ing to the opposite sex, and 74% felt that an unattractive smile
that would mean an initial surgical pro- Success!
cedure to build up the jawbone, then a “My dentures actually fit comfortably,”
could hurt a person’s chances for career success. It was deter-
second surgery to place the implants, and says Troy. “I have absolutely no problems mined that the characteristics people are most likely to notice
a third surgery – once the implant and with them. first about someone’s smile include straightness, whiteness and
bone have fused – to open the gum tissue “This gives me a great sense of security color of teeth, any missing teeth, the sparkle of the smile, and
to place the posts and restorations. The – especially with my upcoming move to
sincerity of the smile.
process is time-consuming and expensive, Iraq. Before Dr. Brown placed the mini-
and it can be uncomfortable. implants, I had to use glue to hold in the In my office, I use the most advanced techniques and materi-
“Mini-implants are narrower than tra- upper denture, and having the roof of my als available to create an attractive, positive smile. I look at the
ditional implants, so we can place them mouth covered made me gag. patient, listen to what they want to achieve, and together we
even when bone mass is reduced. “Now, I can feel the roof of my mouth plan the end result. This is the most important and most difficult
“Second, because of their single-stage and my teeth don’t move at all. I know
design and minimally invasive surgical I’m going to love them.” FHCN–Kris Kline aspect of treatment. Several people, both in the forefront and
behind the scenes, are often involved in creating the desired
appearance. In the forefront are the dental hygienists, dental
Clark F. Brown, Jr., DDS, is board certified by the American Board of assistants, treatment coordinator, and me, who all work directly
Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry. He earned his undergraduate
degree from the University of California, San Diego, and his Doctor of with the patient. Behind the scenes are the laboratory techni-
Dental Surgery degree from Georgetown University. Dr. Brown served cians who create custom restorations to perfectly suit the needs
as a dentist in the U.S. Air Force from 1978 to 1981. He has been in private
practice in Melbourne since 1981. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of each patient.
of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, International Congress of Oral We all work together, ensuring a winning smile for the
Implantologists, American Society of Osseointegration, and American
College of Forensic Examiners and is a Fellow of the American Academy of patient.
Implant Dentistry and International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
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