Valley Brook Dental Provides Advanced Dental Implant Treatment

By Nancy Kennedy

Dental Implants are a great way to replace missing teeth and offer a fixed solution for removable partial or complete dentures. Implants are artificial roots surgically placed into the upper or lower jaw bone that provide excellent support and stability. We place a custom restoration on top of the implant, and your final result is a crown, bridge, or denture that genuinely looks and feels natural. Dental implants are strong and durable and will last for many years with proper care. Reasons for dental implants include:

  • Replace one or more missing teeth without affecting adjacent teeth.

  • Resolve joint pain or bite problems caused by teeth shifting into missing tooth space.

  • Restore a patient’s confident smile.

  • Restore chewing, speech, and digestion.

  • Restore or enhance facial tissues.

  • Support a bridge or denture, making it more secure and comfortable.

The Implant Treatment Process – Impressions, Placement and Restorations

Impressions: Valley Brook Dental uses Digital Impression Images, X-rays and impressions are taken of the jaw and teeth to determine bone, gum tissue, and spacing available for an implant. Here at Valley Brook Dental we avoid the traditional icky goop and use a high-speed intraoral scanner that delivers high-definition, full-color 2D and 3D images. These images produce an extremely accurate HD 3D digital model that is electronically sent to the lab for immediate CAD/CAM fabrication. With this technology, we can produce precise, customized implants, crowns, and bridges in less than a week.

Placement: Next, the implant will be surgically placed into the bone and allowed to heal and integrate itself for three to six months. Dr. Joseph Gurecka utilizes some of the most advanced techniques for dental implant placement and bone regeneration to achieve lasting results while simplifying the procedure and increasing the reliability of the treatment. Sometimes a patient with a broken tooth or a fractured root can even have the tooth removed and the implant placed at the same time.

Improved extraction techniques which preserve bone at the removal site and newer implant designs make implant procedures successful, even for patients who have been unable to receive implant treatment before.

One of the most advanced techniques Dr. Gurecka offers is advanced bone grafting techniques using Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), or Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF). This procedure involves using a by-product of your blood, platelets, to initiate and accelerate the healing process. The treatment can be used to accelerate bone growth in the jaw where an implant can then be placed.

About PRF/PRP: Platelet Rich Fibrin and Platelet Rich Plasma for use in extraction and implant procedures use the body’s own growth factors and stem cells to provide the following benefits:

  • Reduced swelling and inflammation.

  • Less pain reported.

  • Faster healing of surgical sites.

  • Lower incidence of dry socket after tooth extraction.

  • Better healing after bone grafts and dental implants

Restorations: For the fabrication of dental prosthetics, artificial teeth, and orthodontic appliances we use PMMA – Poly (methyl methacrylate). This transparent glass substitute has many uses, from giant aquarium windows to intraocular lenses implanted in the eye. It is highly biocompatible, reliable, has low toxicity, and can be easy manipulated for a more natural looking restoration. Using CAD/Cam digital design technology we can create a single crown or a whole set of perfect dentures. Our restorations are fabricated using sophisticated technology with custom artistic and natural touches done by hand. This advanced technology allows for heightened control of aesthetics, easy adjustments, and minimal wear against opposing teeth. All of this means that Dr. Gurecka offers superior flexible dentures for a better, more comfortable fit.

With extensive post-graduate training and education, Dr. Gurecka combines digital accuracy with an artistic aptitude to provide high-quality professional implant restorations. Our entire team stays current about the latest in dental innovations, from digital impressions, and guided implant placement to the highest quality restoration material available.

For more information about receiving dental implants using advanced technology and individualized custom design, call us at 724-942-8982.

Dr. Gurecka lives in Upper St. Clair with his wife Helen and daughter Diana who attends Seton LaSalle High School where she plays Lacrosse. Helen works at PNC Financial Corporation in town. Dr. G can often be seen on the Montour Bike Trail with his yellow lab “Murphy” who loves fishing.