Are you digging around the internet doing as much research as possible on All-on-4® Dental Implants? Are you nervous about your pre-surgery appointment, and don’t know what to expect? Well this is the video we send out to all of our patients who are getting ready for their pre-surgery appointment. This is the appointment before your surgery, and below you can learn all that will go on during this appointment.

Don’t have time to watch the video? Checkout the transcript below!

Hi, I’m Dr. Bryan Hendriks. Thank you so much for putting your trust in us. It sounds like you are on the path to having your dream smile. I want to take a few minutes to help explain the process from here. If you’re getting this video, that means that you scheduled a pre-surgery visit. A pre-surgery visit is like what? It sounds. It’s a visit before the surgery. The biggest question that people probably ask is how long should I expect to be at this appointment? I would plan on giving as much time as possible because this is the point where we’re trying to communicate and gather as much data as possible so that we end up giving you your dream smile. That’s what this is all about, and so when you first come in, we’re going to sit down and you’re going to go through the most enjoyable part, which is consents.

Consent sometimes can look really scary, but the good thing is none of this has ever happened in my office. The reason you picked us is because we have amazing reviews. The doctors that work here, they are so good at what they do and they are very careful and cautious and so rest assured you have nothing to worry about. Next we’re going to talk about your financial agreement. The financial agreement basically just clarifies what I’m going to do for you and what you can do for me. Basically it’s really clear for you. You’re going to give us a payment and then we’re going to give you some sort of smile, but we want to make sure that it’s clear that you know what you’re getting and we want to make sure you’re clear about what you’re giving us also and so we’ll actually have a document prepared at this appointment.

We do have to take payment. It’s at this point that we’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of staff time, a lot of surgical doctor time, also a lot of lab time and so it is required to bring your payment with you and if you’re not sure what that is, please call. They should have told you and it should be on your sheet. So the next thing we’re going to do is go ahead and collect the payment. When we do this, I want to be super clear. There’s two ways that we accept payment. The first way is probably the easiest and what I’d recommend, which is just to be a cashier’s check. Okay? The second way is you could choose to do a credit or debit card, but I do want to be super clear that if you choose to do credit or debit, it does increase the price by 2.5% and this is simply just because there’s a processing fee on my end.

So actually you’ve got the consents done, we’ve figured out the financial agreement and we’ve collected payment. Now it gets real fun. This is where we actually go back into the clinic and work with my assistants. There’s one thing I have to remind everyone here too that people forget is because it is a medical clinic. We can’t have family back in the operatory rooms. Okay? I can’t be insured if I let that happen. So if you choose to have family there, which I love to have family, make sure they know they’re going to be waiting in the waiting room. We don’t want anybody’s feelings hurt. So once you’re in the clinic, it’s really important that you’ve listened to this one thing, which is we, we are going to be taking pictures and so if you want to look just right, make sure you come prepared to take pictures.

There’s gonna be pictures that are been close with your smile and there’s many pictures out here and if you chose to some type of marketing agreement or if you chose to let me use your pictures because I’m going to make you look so gorgeous, then I highly, highly suggest that you take the time to make sure you put the makeup on and you dress nice because this is often one of the biggest concerns that patients have is like I just, I didn’t come ready to do this and so make sure you’re dressed properly. Once you get into the operatory, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with one of my amazing assistants and rest assured, these assistants aren’t just your regular assistants. They are amazing. They’ve been with me for a long time and they literally love you as much as I love you and we’re going to take really good care of you.

And so please give them the same respect that you’ve given me. Again, the whole reason for this appointment is to gather data data so that we can make sure that we know what you want. So we’re going to start off with taking impressions. This isn’t always fun, but it is important that we get really good data. Otherwise we’re not going to know how to give you the best smile. So we start with an impression on the top and on the bottom we take a bite also and then we take intraoral pictures again, make sure you dress up. And then from this point you may be waiting for anywhere from an hour to two hours. This is often a point where people would get frustrated because they think that nothing’s happening. But actually what’s happening is we are taking the impressions and the material back to the lab and we’re working super, super fast so that we can get back to you.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that when the assistant is out of the room, a majority of the work is actually being done. So there’ll be impressions happening in one moment and they’ll walk out of the room and they’ll be showing it to the doctor to make sure he approves and then it’ll be going into the lab and they’ll be working in the lab to get all the things done so that we can get you your smiles as soon as possible. Most other doctors require the patient to come back multiple times before the original surgery, but we really want this to be the best experience possible and so you will be waiting for about an hour to two hours and it can be intermittent just because we’re doing this in the background to save you time. Once the lab has done everything they need to do, the assistance is going to come back in and have a very important conversation with you.

Okay? Now this is again, this is one of those things I really want you to hear me here. They’re going to ask you what do you want to see in a new smile? This is where you have the opportunity to tell us what you’d like to see. For some of you, you’re going to love this. For others, that’s going to stress you out, so if you’re a stressor like me and like a lot of people don’t stress, you can look at our signs. You can see that we have amazing smiles. We will figure out the smile for you, but if you’re on the all on the other side of the camp, if you have a list of things you’d like to see in a new smile, please bring that with you and we’ll sit down and we’ll talk about it. This process is called a smile design.

We’re basically designing your final smile even though it’s just going to be a temporary. We want our temporary to look like it’s the final, we kind of see this like we’re playing football. Some people like to throw 10 yards at a time and they get a first down, but my team’s on a 10 yard type of team. We’re more like we’re throwing for the touchdown. So what we’re looking for actually to see exactly what you want in your final device and that’s why we take so much time throughout this process. But this Mount design process is supposed to be geared for you. So please speak up and please feel like you have complete control of bill. Tell us what you want to see. One of the things that makes dream dental so unique is that we pride ourselves on our temporaries. What you didn’t know is that most of the smile reveals that you’ve seen in the past on YouTube and on TV and throughout the different medias we were in.

Most of those pictures and videos you see are actually just temporary. And so the reason why we spend so much time is because we want that to be the same for you. We want you to have such an amazing experience when you get your teeth that next day. The last part of this process is where we go through pre-surgery instructions. There are very specific instructions we give people the day before the surgery and so we’re going to go through all those instructions with you and if you have any questions about the surgery or actually any questions about the whole process or the timeline, this will be your opportunity to ask questions. Again, one of the really critical areas I want to communicate with you about is timeline. Timeline is tricky because everybody’s different and so this is where we’re going to go through the timeline with you and we’re going to give you an estimate of how long it’s going to take.

Of course your smile shouldn’t be rushed. We want it to take as long as it needs to, but no longer than it has to, but we sometimes don’t know timelines exactly. The reason why is because every body heals differently and so we’re going to go over instructions and timeline to make sure that you feel comfortable knowing what is the worst case scenario. If, if you were to heal super slow, how long that would take. Once we’ve answered all of your questions, we’re going to bring you to the front with our schedule coordinator and we’re going to schedule that special day. It’s going to be a day that’s going to change your life and I can’t tell you how excited we are to be able to be part of this journey and I can’t thank you enough for putting your trust in me and in my staff and the doctors that work here from all of them.

We want to say thank you! You know, I tell everybody I don’t just change smiles. I change lives and my whole staff has said that over and over again and I can’t tell you how excited we are to go on this journey with you here in just a little while. You’re going to be waking up every day looking in the mirror and seeing someone that you’re so proud to see. It’s going to change your life. It’s going to change your relationships with the most important people in your life. It’s going to change your opportunities and business is literally going to change every aspect of your life. But the best part about it is it’s gonna allow you to connect and be loved and to love at the highest level. That’s what I love about what I do is giving back. One of my favorite quotes is by my mentor, Tony Robbins, and he says, the secret to living is giving, and if there’s any legacy I want to leave on this earth is this is to give, and I’m excited to be able to give you a smile so that you can continue to give back to the people you love in your life.

So thank you so much again for coming into my clinic and I look forward to seeing you soon.

– Dr. Bryan Hendriks

 

Here at Dream Dental, we’re making a lot of changes to promote a more sterile workplace. Our clinic has always been cleaned multiple times a day, but now our waiting room and our consultation rooms are as well, not to mention we’ve removed any furnishing that cannot be easily wiped down and cleaned after each and every use.

Any patient or consultation we have scheduled for that day, we take their temperature before they’re allowed to enter the building. If they do not have a fever, they are then permitted inside to our sanitary station, where we have them put on masks, clean their hands, and are then allowed to go upstairs. Our staff also must wear masks at all times, and are cleaning their hands constantly, even those that don’t work in the clinic.

We are also offering virtual consultations, not just for those who are immune compromised, but for anyone who feels unsafe leaving their home right now. These are half the time of normal, in-office consultations, and are designed to pre-qualify people before asking them to come in for their CT-Scan and finalizing paperwork if it is decided that they can move forward with treatment. If you’re interested in this, please fill out this form to get scheduled: https://dreamdentalimplants.com/free-virtual-consult

We believe that this pandemic is going to give everyone a new standard of cleanliness, and we welcome the change! Please stay safe during these uncertain times, and if you have any questions, give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.

In case you haven’t heard, smiling is great for your health.

According to Psychology Today, smiling makes you look younger and thinner, elevates your mood, promotes a sense of well-being, and can even predict your lifespan. (Spoiler alert: people who smile tend to live longer.)

And a good smile starts with your teeth.

Unfortunately, despite advancements in dental care, WebMD reports that millions of Americans suffer from tooth loss due to decay, disease, or injury.

The good news is that several options are available for those who yearn for that dream smile, even without their natural teeth. But before you opt for the seemingly cheapest and most convenient option, it’s important to know the facts.

Here’s what you need to understand about dentures and implants when you’re considering which one is right for you.

Dentures

For several decades, the go-to method of replacing missing teeth was dentures, but that trend has started to shift. Dr. Bryan Hendriks of Dream Dental explained why dentures are not necessarily the best option available.

The cons:

“A denture completely blocks the inside of the roof of the mouth,” Hendriks said. “The biggest problem with that is that you’re not going to be able to taste the food that you want.”

Aside from blocking some of your tastebuds, dentures also fall out easily, are less comfortable, and are expensive to maintain.

“To keep the denture fitting well, you have to reline it often — meaning that you have to add material into it,” Hendriks said. “The second you take your teeth out, you start to lose bone.”

The pros:

Dentures can be a good option for people who have lost all of their teeth and don’t have the finances to afford implants. Simply put, they’re better than nothing.

But since dentures can make a person’s profile look drastically different, Hendriks advises against them if your only goal is a better-looking smile.

“Don’t let a doctor convince you that a denture is the best option unless you truly have exhausted every resource possible,” he said.

Overdentures (known as ‘snap-in dentures’)

One step up from dentures is overdentures, which are also known as “snap-in dentures.” These differ from traditional dentures in that they have at least two or four implants to connect them. This allows the denture to snap in like buttons on a shirt.

The pros:

Because these dentures snap-in, this will keep them in while you’re talking.

The cons:

As you start to chew and eat, the denture will dislodge and the rings underneath can move or wear down. This leads to higher costs for cleaning and relining.

“Well over 60% of my patients have upgraded to a different device because of these maintenance costs,” Hendriks said.

Overall, overdentures are better than regular dentures, but if you’re going to spend the money, there are better options available.

All-on-4® dental implants

An All-on-4® dental implant bridge is a screw-retained device, supported on as few as four dental implants, and permanently replaces an entire arch of teeth. It is the most functional choice and performs like your natural teeth.

These implants come in two options: titanium or zirconia. The titanium implant has acrylic around the titanium bar with denture teeth on top, but the zirconia device is one piece.

The pros:

If beauty is your main concern, rest assured that both options are stunning. And because the zirconia implants are highly customizable, you can achieve that picture-perfect Hollywood gleam, if that’s your goal. The device is designed on a computer, meaning you can choose exactly the size, shape, or shade you want.

The titanium device is built from the same material used to make space shuttles, but the zirconia is made of the strongest material known in dentistry.

“It can take so much more pressure and strength, we don’t have to worry about a tooth breaking off or a tooth wearing down,” Hendriks said.

The ceramic surface of the zirconia device is also the most hygienic option of all dental implants.

The cons:

According to Hendriks, the biggest problem with combining a titanium bar with the acrylic and denture teeth is that patients who bite down the wrong way often have problems with teeth popping off. Over time, the teeth on the titanium implant will wear down. Because acrylic absorbs saliva, this also makes the titanium implant harder to clean.

The only con for the zirconia? The price. Because the custom implant takes much longer to create, this makes them the most expensive option.

However, the lower maintenance could end up balancing the budget when all is said and done.

“At the end of the day, the cost you would pay in maintenance with the titanium, you will make that difference up in the zirconia,” Hendriks said.

Get your dream smile

Each one of the options listed above works for certain people. To know what’s best for you, it’s important to get a professional opinion.

As you find yourself searching for the right dental provider, it can be challenging to know where to go. At Dream Dental, you’ll receive the best patient care available at the hands of highly-experienced dental implant experts.

With a virtually painless procedure, state-of-the-art equipment, and a convenient downtown location, Dream Dental has everything you need to achieve your dream smile. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call 801-682-4519.

This was an article featured on KSL.com! https://www.ksl.com/article/46703710/know-all-of-your-options-before-settling-for-dentures