HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - December 8, 2010) - PerioHealth Professionals™, Houston's Smile Engineers™, recently reduced their fee for dental implant surgery on a local mom who fell on hard times in recent years.
During the past few years, Houston resident Michelle Harris was hit with a "double whammy"; while she was going through the emotional strain of being unemployed and unable to find a job for the past two years, her husband also lost his job.
Although most of her youngest child's college education is being paid for by grants and a partial scholarship, there are still costs involved. What's more, their monthly financial obligations were looming.
As if this weren't enough, Michelle was no longer able to wear her upper denture because it was causing severe and painful irritation to the palate of her mouth. This made it virtually impossible to interview for jobs, as her experience in the mortgage industry generally consisted of almost 90% face-to-face customer contact.
Michelle's general dentist, Dr. Ron Hickerson, had been treating her for more than a decade and contacted Drs. Michael McGuire and Todd Scheyer of PerioHealth Professionals™ to see if they would help his patient turn her life around by providing the dental implants she needed at a reduced fee.
"Michelle was obviously caught in a financial and emotional catch-22," explains Dr. Scheyer of PerioHealth Professionals™. "Her two-year unemployment status had already lowered her self-esteem, and without upper teeth or the ability to afford replacements, her personal and professional lives weren't likely to improve."
"Her story was so compelling, and Dr. Hickerson spoke so highly of her, that we decided to take on her case and perform the dental implant surgery at a reduced fee," explained Dr. Scheyer.
Specifically, the surgical procedure performed by the doctors of PerioHealth Professionals™ is called "All-on-4 Guided Implant Surgery." Here's why it is considered a major advancement in restorative dentistry:
With conventional implant techniques, a person wanting to restore a full set (known as a "full arch") of top or bottom teeth would require a minimum of 6 implants -- in most cases, many more -- and as many as 18 to 20 months of surgical treatment involving bone grafts. Not so with All-on-4.
"Using the latest computer technology and sophisticated 3D treatment planning software, our dental team plotted out precisely where the 4 implants should be placed in Michelle's jaw for optimal results," said Dr. Scheyer. "We first performed the entire procedure 'virtually' on the computer to ensure that ideal implant outcomes could be achieved before we performed the actual procedure on Michelle. If you compare us to pilots, this is our flight simulator."
Thanks to the All-on-4 procedure, Michelle received a completely restored full arch of upper teeth with just 4 strategically placed implants. There was no bone grafting required, and her full set of replacement teeth was placed in just one appointment. Michelle's new teeth aren't removable like dentures -- they are a full set of fixed replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like her natural teeth.
"I am so thankful to Drs. Hickerson, McGuire, and Scheyer for taking an interest in my case and
in helping me turn my life around," said Ms. Harris. "Even though my new teeth are temporaries for now, no one can tell, and I look and feel better than I have in years."
Michelle will return to PerioHealth Professionals™ for checkups on a regularly scheduled basis. It will take approximately 6 months for the gums to fully heal and the implants to become integrated within the jawbones. At that time, a final set of strong, beautiful, permanent teeth will be prepared and placed for a perfect fit.
This new set of teeth must be cared for just like natural teeth; that is, brush and floss at least twice a day, and see the dentist regularly. This will help ensure that Michelle's "All-on-4" teeth will last a lifetime.
About PerioHealth Professionals™
Established in 1979, PerioHealth Professionals™ is led by Michael K. McGuire, DDS and E. Todd Scheyer, DDS, MS. Both are board-certified periodontists who have dedicated their
professional lives to the practice of periodontics, the organized leadership of the profession, and educating fellow dentists and patients alike on the various aspects of proper periodontal care, including:
- Dental implants
- Tissue grafting to reduce gum recession and bone loss
- Periodontal procedures to correct damaged or extracted teeth
- Prevention, identification, and treatment of periodontal disease (gum disease)
- Recontouring of the teeth and gums
- Bone regeneration therapy
- Education and clinical research
PerioHealth Professionals™ team members are firm believers in "patient-driven dentistry," which means each periodontal and implant case is treated with optimum, personalized care from the initial evaluation and treatment to long-term follow-up and maintenance. For more information, visit www.periohealth.com and www.GuidedSmiles.com, or call 713-783-5442.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Michael Ventriello
Lanmark Group
732-389-4500 ext. 181