If many of your teeth are missing or damaged, you may be weighing different options for treatment, including traditional dentures. While dentures were the standard of care years ago, patients who choose them frequently experience problems over time, such as discomfort, slippage, difficulty eating and speaking, and bone loss.
Dr. Matthew Ficca offers Charlotte patients an alternative to traditional dentures with the “Teeth in a Day” treatment. Teeth in a Day is a modern approach to dental restoration using dental implants. It’s a stronger, more durable, and more comfortable solution that can significantly improve your quality of life.
Dr. Ficca is a board-certified specialist who has placed thousands of dental implants for patients. With same-day teeth implants, he can replace all of your missing and damaged teeth with a tooth prosthesis that is as close as possible to your original teeth. The treatment also ensures that you have a complete and natural-looking smile.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants Over Dentures?
It helps to understand the difference between the two options. A traditional denture is a removable appliance with artificial teeth that sits on top of your gums and palette. Teeth in a Day is a much smaller appliance that’s fixed in place by dental implants. These implants anchor the appliance in the same way that your natural dental roots anchor your teeth. As a result, dental implants offer:
More strength and stability
Dentures may slip as you chew or speak, limiting your food choices and serving as a frequent reminder that your teeth aren’t natural. Dental implants provide nearly the same functionality as your original teeth.
A non-removable solution
Your new teeth will look and feel more like your own. Unlike with dentures, implants offer a fixed option secured to implants. This allows for a more confident, esthetic smile, and more functional, comfortable teeth.
Better comfort
Some of the biggest complaints that our Charlotte patients have about dentures is that they cause sore spots, cover part of the palette, and shift around as the fit changes over time. Teeth in a Day doesn’t have these problems, preserving bone and therefore eliminating adjustments and relines.
Bone preservation
The bone in your jaw atrophies or shrinks away over time in the area of missing teeth. Dentures often speed up this process, called boné resorption, so people who wear them typically need a refit after a few years. Dental implants preserve bone in the same way as natural tooth roots.
Am I a Good Candidate for Dentures or Dental Implants?
If you have many missing or damaged teeth, you are likely a good candidate for either treatment. Choosing between the two is about weighing the benefits of each.
Charlotte patients often come to Dr. Ficca after a referral by their general dentist. Other patients schedule a consultation because they’re unhappy with the dentures that they’ve been wearing or because their teeth are painful, broken down, or decayed, and they’re ready to restore their quality of life.
Dr. Ficca and his team are dedicated to making your treatment experience as comfortable, positive, and supportive as possible. You’ll have time to talk about your goals, learn about your options, and ask all of your questions. A typical appointment includes a comprehensive examination, X-rays, and often a 3D X-ray (also known as a cone beam CT scan).
If you decide you want Teeth in a Day, Dr. Ficca will consult with your restorative dentist to prepare your treatment plan. If you do not have a dentist, Dr. Ficca and his restorative team will customize a treatment plan specifically for you. This will help ensure that you have a natural-looking and secure outcome. You’ll have a second consultation with Dr. Ficca to go over details of the procedure and to decide about treatment.
What Is It Like Recovering from Teeth in a Day with Dental Implants?
Once it is determined that you are a good candidate for same-day teeth implants, we can remove all of your teeth, place your dental implants, and attach a temporary prosthesis to the implants in a single office visit. This allows our Charlotte patients to come in for their appointment and leave with a brand new smile on the same day.
Your procedure will take place under general or conscious sedation administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. Dr. Ficca will place 4-6 dental implants, and your restorative team will be there to attach your temporary teeth.
During your recovery, expect 2-3 days away from your normal routine. Most patients stick to a soft food diet for a few weeks to limit stress on their new teeth. Over the next 8-12 weeks, you’ll have follow-up visits with Dr. Ficca, who can make adjustments as necessary. Finally, your restorative team will replace the temporary teeth with your permanent prosthesis.
2-3 days away from normal routine + soft food diet
8-12 weeks of follow up visits with Dr. Ficca
12 weeks+ temporary teeth replaced with permanent prosthesis
What Are the Costs of Dentures vs. Teeth in a Day in Charlotte?
In general, dentures will cost less upfront than Teeth in a Day and dental implants. However, dentures tend to require ongoing treatment and result in bone destruction, leading to discomfort and frustrations over time. The cost of implant-supported dentures and same-day teeth implants may range from $14,000 to $28,000 per arch; it’s an investment in a more confident smile and a better quality of life for the rest of your life.
Dr. Ficca and our team encourage you to visit our practice to discuss dentures, dental implants, and Teeth in a Day. We can review your options, go over pricing and likely outcomes, and help you make an informed decision for your care.
Learn more about restoring your smile and the function of your bite with dental implants. Contact Dr. Ficca’s office online or call us in Charlotte at (704) 544-2224
