PBHS long-time client, Dr. Robert M. Pick, was featured in a New York Times article titled “For most, Implants Beat Dentures, but at a Price”.
“I can chew beer cans now!” says Mark Panko, a small-business owner from Woodrige Il. Mr. Panko, a dental implant patient, proves that his periodontist should be given an award for performing a life changing procedure or that Mr. Panko is a great party trick performer (don’t try spoon wrestling Mr. Panko.) Either way, we’re impressed. While he may not be able to chew beer cans (Mr Panko, if your reading this blog, please take baby steps with your new teeth), he can certainly bite into an apple or chew on a porterhouse!
The Times piece covers Mark’s story, who sorrowfully reflects on the miserable time in his life when he wore dentures. “I couldn’t taste my food – in fact, I could hardly chew.” Dr. Pick, a Chicago periodontist, supports Mr. Panko’s love of implants, reporting that dental implants are the preferred treatment for missing teeth.
“They fell out when I talked,” Mr. Panko, 56, a small-business owner in Woodridge, Ill., recalled. It was the most miserable time of my entire life.”
Mr. Panko, who lost his teeth in his early 50s because of a hereditary form of periodontal disease, eventually replaced his dentures with something better: dental implants. While many people wear dentures without discomfort, implants are now considered the preferred treatment for replacing lost teeth, said Dr. Robert Pick, an associate professor of surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
The procedure is straightforward. A surgeon places a titanium screw in the jaw bone, and prosthetic teeth are secured to the implant. They don’t wiggle or slip, as dentures can, and are healthier for the gums and bone. Most patients find implants easier to maintain than dentures.
“Best decision I ever made,” Mr. Panko said of his implants.
To read the full article from The New York Times, click here.
PBHS offers a variety of resources for clients to educate their patients on the benefits of dental implants. These products include:
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Online Patient Education Systems
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Waiting Room Presentations
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Laminated Infocards
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Patient Education Booklets
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