“The first thing you noticed about this new patient when she came to our office was that she loved to smile. However, she was also very unhappy with the condition and appearance of her natural teeth. As she had never practiced the best oral hygiene over the years, she was troubled by extensive caries, large unattractive restorations, broken cusps and severe Type IV gum disease. She had thought about traditional dentures but had heard some “horror stories” from her friends. As she was preparing to retire and would only have the funds available for a relatively finite time, she wanted to accomplish two things: an esthetic solution and “solid dentures”. After discussing a variety of options (and costing structures) with her, she opted for an implant-retained snap on denture on the lower and a removable denture on the upper. Both were crafted by Aurum Ceramic’s AE (Advanced Esthetic) Denture team.

The patient didn’t want to be without her teeth for a moment, so treatment began with a set of impressions taken before the extractions. Aurum Ceramic used these to create a set of Immediate Dentures, developing her bite and allowing healing to occur. Following the extractions, the lower Immediate Denture rested on temporary implants for the first month. These were removed and the Immediate Denture sat on healing caps for the remaining two months matching the total three-month healing period for the upper Immediate Denture.

After this period, impressions were taken and the Aurum Ceramic AE (Advanced Esthetic) Denture team created truly beautiful and functional AE Dentures for the patient. The patient was thrilled by the result. She still loves to smile and now she had the beautiful smile to match her incredible personality. Perhaps in part because of her new vitality, she has even decided to “un-retire” and start a second career!

- Dr. Ned A. Nippoldt