Brockley Dental Blog, Dental Implants, Dentures, Mini Dental Implants, Restorative Dentistry

Experience Comfort With All-on-4 Dental Implant Alternatives Like Fix-on-Six

All-on-4 Dental Implant Alternatives in Butler, PA | Try Fix-on-Six!

Dental implants are a great method to replace teeth, providing a strong foundation for your restorations. These titanium implants screw into your jawbone and slowly become secure through osseointegration. This process allows your bone to bond with the implant, keeping it stable in your jaw. With implant support, your brand-new smile will stay in place! While there are many different implant systems, All-on-4® is a popular system that uses traditional dental implants. While the system is effective and secure, traditional implants aren’t the perfect choice for everyone. Thankfully, we use a more accessible implant system that utilizes mini dental implants! For All-on-4 dental implant alternatives that provide a more comfortable experience, try Fix-on-Six®!

Brockley Dental Center is a family-owned and operated dental practice in Butler, PA, and a Mini Dental Implant Center of America. As an MDICA, it is part of an elite group of dentists specializing in placing mini dental implants!

Dr. Donald Brockley and his daughter, Dr. Ahono Gildersleeve, utilize innovative techniques like Fix-on-Six to provide patients like you with comfortable, affordable, and lasting smiles.

Understanding the All-on-4® Dental Implant Technique

The All-on-4® placement system utilizes traditional dental implants to secure a denture restoration in your mouth. It involves strategically placing four dental implants around your jawbone, providing excellent stability.

All-on-4 Dental Implant Alternatives in Butler, PA | Try Fix-on-Six!

The two implants in the middle of your smile near the front are placed straight, supporting the anterior (front) of your smile. In contrast, the two implants on either end in the posterior (back) region of your smile are placed at a 45-degree angle. Because these implants are angled, they can be longer and utilize more bone structure without damaging the surrounding anatomical structures like nerve canals.

While the placement method is secure and effective, All-on-4 traditional dental implants have major drawbacks that make them unsuitable for some patients!

Traditional implants are around 5 millimeters in diameter, requiring a large hole in your jawbone. Unfortunately, many patients lack the required jawbone mass or density due to tooth loss! When you lose a tooth, you also lose its root—or the part embedded into your jawbone.

Not only does a tooth root provide stability for your smile, but it also stimulates your jawbone when you bite or chew. Without this stimulation, your jawbone begins to shrink over time. Patients with less available bone structure are often ineligible for traditional implants, which makes the All-on-4 system impossible!

Bone grafts—or procedures that replenish lost bone—help, but they are costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, Brockley Dental Center offers All-on-4 dental implant alternatives like Fix-on-Six® with mini implants!

All-on-4® Dental Implant Alternatives With Fix-on-Six®

Fix-on-Six® is a placement system that replaces your smile with a semi-permanent restoration. Using 6-10 mini dental implants, we secure a semi-removable roundhouse bridge for excellent stability in your mouth.

All-on-4 Dental Implant Alternatives in Butler, PA | Try Fix-on-Six!

Mini dental implants are less than 3 millimeters in diameter, which allows us to use a minimally invasive technique with no incisions or stitches necessary! Instead, we create a small pilot hole that uses much less jawbone than traditional implants.

Because of their small diameter, patients with less bone density or mass are often still eligible for mini dental implants. Even without a bone graft, most patients who were told they have insufficient jawbone for traditional implants still qualify for mini dental implant procedures!

Additionally, these implants are instantly secure enough after placement to support a temporary restoration the same day. With mini dental implants, you never have to go without teeth!

The Fix-on-Six method supports a semi-permanent roundhouse bridge, which is a restoration that replaces your entire arch of teeth. Because of the stability mini implants offer, we no longer have to use the bulky denture base to support your smile. Instead, we can secure your artificial teeth with only implants.

This restoration is “semi-permanent” because you never remove it. Only at routine dental visits will we remove your roundhouse bridge for cleanings. Otherwise, your restoration stays secure in your mouth!

The Fix-on-Six method using mini dental implants provides incredible stability, better comfort, and faster results.

Visit Brockley Dental Center for the Fix-on-Six® Experience!

While All-on-4® dental implants are secure and reliable, traditional dental implants require an uncomfortable procedure many patients don’t qualify for. At Brockley Dental Center, we offer Fix-on-Six® as an All-on-4 alternative! Using mini dental implants, we can secure a beautiful new smile with less discomfort, healing time, and hassle.

Book a consultation at Brockley Dental Center today to restore your smile comfortably!

Follow Dr. Gildersleeve and Dr. Brockley on Facebook to learn more about the Fix-on-Six process.

Donald B. Brockley, DMD

Dr. Brockley earned his doctorate degree in Dental Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine in 1972. He is a second generation dentist and a legacy of the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine where his father, Dr. Charles R. Brockley earned his doctorate in general dentistry in the year 1927. While attending the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, he held the office of Class Secretary for his graduating class. Following dental school, he chose to do his residency training at Wilmington Medical Center in Wilmington, Delaware, with a focus on research. Upon completing his residency, Dr. Brockley enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War Era as a Naval Officer. Dr. Brockley opened his own private practice 1975 in Butler, PA a historic town just 34 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Brockley held the office of President of the Butler County Dental Society. After many years of practice, Dr. Brockley realized that fear is the #1 reason why people do not visit their dentist regularly. Therefore, he made it his mission to find an alternative way to practice (and to help his patients overcome this fear). This alternative was through Sedation Dentistry. In 1996 he became trained in Conscious Oral Sedation. This technique allowed him to treat fearful patients by gently putting them to sleep with the aid of a pill, not needle IV sedation which was the popular treatment at that time. Dr. Brockley received his dental training at the following institutions: University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA University of North Carolina, School of Dentistry, Raleigh, NC Mini Dental Implant Training Centre, Buffalo, NY. Due to the high number of patients who are diabetic in his practice, his next goal was to understand the impact of Diabetes in Dentistry. Due to the subset of Diabetic patients in his practice who had similar recurring oral and systemic health problems, special attention became warranted. This led to a different standard of care and treatment for patients whose health was compromised by diabetes. Early detection, observation, evaluation and treatment to eradicate infection plays a major role in maintaining oral health for diabetic patients. Poorly managed treatment for diabetic patients has been shown to lead to a higher risk of uncontrolled gum disease and vice versa, making prevention of gum disease the #1 priority for this subset of patients. Dr. Brockley’s research on dentistry for diabetics led him to his next specialization: the treatment and eradication of gum disease. His aim has been to change the the treatment of gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. For this reason, he designed a radically different protocol to the Soft Tissue Management (STM) program. STM treats the symptoms of gum disease, and more importantly, the underlying cause of gum disease, bacteria. Studies have shown that gum disease affects 80% of American adults. However, Dr. Brockley has observed that more than 90% of his baby boomer patients have gum disease. His unique STM protocol has shown significant success within his patient population. With patient knowledge, understanding, and cooperation, Dr. Brockley is able to arrest and manage gum disease in his practice. After perfecting his procedures for crowns, bridges, partials and dentures to replace missing teeth, the introduction of Small Diameter Implants (also known as SDI or Mini Dental Implants) into his practice has revolutionized the way Dr. Brockley practices cosmetic dentistry. Small Diameter Implants provide the possibility of full mouth restoration, multiple teeth restoration, or single tooth restoration. Small Diameter Implants can be implemented in all types of tooth and bone conditions, in all ages, and in all types of health conditions. Dr. Brockley uses Small Diameter Implants to restore chewing ability and create beautiful smiles, which ultimately changes peoples’ lives. Dr. Brockley is the proud owner and operator of the first Mini Dental Implant Center of America in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Dr. Brockley has achieved Diplomate status in the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants. He is the President Emeritus of the Butler County Dental Society. Dr. Brockley was also a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. He is a a lifetime member of the Delta Sigma Dental Fraternity, and he was the Class Secretary for the University of Pittsburgh Dental School. Dr. Brockley likes to spend time with his family at home or while traveling, has been an avid scuba diver since 1980, and describes himself as a “just okay” golfer.

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