Is it really possible to get a new smile in a single day?
If you’ve turned on the television lately, you’ve likely seen advertisements promising you a new smile in just one day. Patients share stories of lifelong dental issues that cost them time and money in what they believed to be a losing game. But all that changed when they heard about the “smile in a day” treatment.
If this sounds too good to be true, it’s likely because it is. Essentially, the smile in a day treatment requires removing the patients’ remaining teeth and placing implants and dentures throughout the mouth. So, while you’ll leave with a new smile, it will require a great deal of dental work that requires ongoing maintenance for the life of your smile.
Before jumping to receive this treatment, it’s important to understand who is a good candidate and what the procedure entails.
Who is a good candidate for Smile in a Day implants?
The typical patient seeking a same-day smile is someone who is fed up and feels like the odds are stacked against them. They are doing their best to maintain their oral health, but continue to lose teeth and put money into their smile. However, not all patients who meet this criteria are a good fit.
This treatment is a good solution for patients who are in terminal dentition. Meaning, there is not enough bone to support their remaining teeth. This can be diagnosed in an x-ray almost immediately. The patient typically has periodontal disease that has resulted in more than 50% bone loss, leaving the teeth very unstable. At this point, there is no saving these teeth and they must be removed.
This is not something that sneaks up on a patient. In fact, it takes many years to get to this point and is often a result of poor oral hygiene, diabetes and smoking.
What does the smile in a day procedure entail?
If it’s decided that you are a good candidate for smile in a day implants, you will have two appointments on that day. The first will be with an oral surgeon or periodontist who will remove your teeth and place the implants, and the second with a general dentist who will secure a temporary denture. The entire procedure can be completed in under five hours.
The treatment requires a minimum of four implants in each arch – typically five implants on the lower arch and six on the upper arch – and a temporary denture that is screwed in place. While you’ll go home with a new smile that day, it typically takes a few months for the permanent denture to be fabricated. This can also require multiple fittings and impressions over the course of several months.
Your new smile will also require routine maintenance that must be completed by a dentist. Twice a year, the denture must be removed and professionally cleaned. So, if you’re looking to this treatment as a way to avoid the dentist and regular cleanings, this is not your ticket.
Home maintenance is also more difficult, and failure to keep the denture clean could compromise the integrity of the implant and require a new implant be placed.
Is the smile in a day the best treatment option?
If you find yourself in terminal dentition, the smile in a day treatment is the recommended course of treatment. It is better than the alternatives and provides you with better chewing function than a traditional denture or a patient-removable implant bridge, or PRIB.
However, if you have not yet reached the point of terminal dentition a smile in a day is not recommended. There are many other options to explore before reaching this point that will provide a more predictable course of treatment and better outcomes.
If you suspect that you are in terminal dentition, or in need of a same-day smile, contact our office to schedule an appointment. Our staff can quickly diagnose the problem with a screening and x-rays and start charting your cource to a new smile.
