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

How Full-Mouth Mini Dental Implants Revitalize Your Smile!

Full-Mouth Dental Implants in Pittsburgh, PA | Affordable Dentures

Is it possible to restore your entire smile with dental implants? While the idea of full-mouth dental implants may sound overwhelming, it’s not as daunting as it seems! At Brockley Dental Center, we utilize mini dental implants. These small titanium posts are less than 3 mm in diameter, about the width of a toothpick.

We place mini implants around your jawbone to replace a full arch of missing teeth. However, rather than replacing each tooth (which would require 32 mini implants!), we place these implants strategically around your jaw, evenly distributing the pressure of your bite. With a full-mouth restoration in place, like a roundhouse bridge or denture, these implants provide a stable foundation that allows you to smile with confidence!

The Mini Implant Difference

Full-Mouth Dental Implants in Pittsburgh, PA | Affordable Dentures

Mini dental implants feature a design that differs from their conventional counterparts. Due to their unique structure, mini implants offer significant advantages that conventional implants cannot provide.

  • Smaller diameter: Mini implants have a slim diameter, allowing us to place them in smaller places. Where conventional implants require a significant amount of bone structure for support, mini implants stabilize even in minimal bone!
  • Less invasive: Due to their smaller size, we use a minimally invasive placement procedure to secure mini implants. This gentle approach is much more comfortable for most patients like you, and even allows your implants to secure in your jaw immediately. In most cases, mini implants are strong enough to support temporary restorations the same day we place them in your jaw.
  • Faster healing: With a gentle procedure and less tissue disturbance, mini implants heal much faster than conventional implants. Rather than waiting 3 to 6 months for conventional implants to support a final restoration, mini implants are able to support a final full-arch restoration in just a few weeks!
  • More affordable: With fewer appointments and fewer components to pay for, mini implants are much more affordable! In many cases, these implants are almost half the cost of conventional dental implants.

Restoring Your Smile With Full-Mouth Dental Implants

The full-mouth mini dental implant process is relatively straightforward.

At Brockley Dental Center, we employ a minimally invasive approach that facilitates faster healing and security. First, however, we use a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable. For patients who need it, we even utilize sedation dentistry to help you relax during your procedure.

Once you’re ready, we make a small pilot hole in your gums and bone tissue, about the size of your implant. Then, we gently screw the titanium post into place, where it instantly begins to stabilize. In many cases, we’re able to secure a temporary restoration on your implants the same day, ensuring you never go without teeth!

Explore Our Full-Mouth Implant Restorations in Pittsburgh, PA

Full-Mouth Dental Implants in Pittsburgh, PA | Affordable Implant Overdentures
An implant overdenture secures onto 4 to 8 mini implants, creating a stable bite!

During your consultation, we will discuss what full-mouth restoration is best for your lifestyle. At our office, we offer three distinct mini implant-retained dentures that restore your entire smile.

  • Implant overdentures: Like traditional dentures, these prosthetics utilize a gum base for support. However, they also feature built-in housings that connect to your full-mouth dental implants, allowing the denture to snap on and off. These implants offer exceptional support while remaining removable for easy cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, if your denture is in good condition, we may be able to transform it into an implant overdenture!
  • Semi-removable roundhouse bridges: Unlike implant overdentures, a roundhouse bridge has a much sleeker design. These restorations restore your entire arch of teeth while eliminating the need for a bulky denture base. Instead, semi-removable roundhouse bridges utilize a smaller and more comfortable gum base, which looks natural in your mouth. However, it’s important to note that you never remove this restoration. Instead, it’s removed only during routine dental visits at Brockley Dental Center.
  • Non-removable roundhouse bridges: For patients with sufficient gum and bone structure, we can craft roundhouse bridges without a base! These restorations resemble an implant bridge, or a row of artificial teeth fused together to create a natural-looking tooth replacement. However, non-removable roundhouse bridges replace an entire arch of teeth and are cemented directly on your implants. For patients experiencing total tooth loss, this is the closest you can get to having your natural teeth back.

Revitalize Your Smile With Full-Mouth Mini Dental Implants!

Full-mouth dental implants simply refer to placing mini implants around your jawbone to support a denture restoration! By strategically placing these implants around your jaw, we can evenly distribute the pressure of your bite, restoring your ability to smile and function normally.

At Brockley Dental Center, we offer several full-mouth dental implant-supported restorations to choose from that differ in design and removability. Schedule your initial consultation to begin your journey to a full smile today!

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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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