|
Dr. Raul Gonzalez, DMD
|
Dr. Raul Gonzalez, whose cutting-edge dental techniques
had already won professional accolade and celebrity clientele, recently
further upgraded his practice with the addition of the state-of-the-art
CEREC III machine.
The new machine further assists Gonzalez in the
construction of ceramic dental implants by providing him with a 3-D
image of the piece before it is milled.
"The machine takes multiple images to produce
several different images at the same time," he said, "so that
I can see the x, y, and z axis of the ceramic before it is milled. This
ensures that the margin of error is very miniscule--really, for the most
part, only operator error could necessitate correction."
The addition of this new technology--along with
Gonzalez's mastery of the digital microscopic periodontic exam, which
allows him to treat infections directly with his laser, antimicrobials,
and antibiotics instead of with systemic antibiotics--further enhances
his ability to perform "smile architecture reconstruction."
"We can totally redo the facial profile of the
patient," he said. "Before it would take five or six
appointments, now it can be as few as one or two."
Gonzalez explained that these sorts of procedures can be
costly, emotionally, psychologically, and financially, and that patients
need to be prepared for the results of the makeover.
"The patients will be astonished by the
changes," he said, "and that can be overwhelming. Also, most
of the procedures are not covered by insurance and they need to be ready
for the cost."
The process can be divided into several steps: first
Gonzalez makes a full medical/dental diagnosis, then a full digital
and/or x-ray evaluation is made along with full digital imaging of the
face and teeth.
After that special models are created so that the face
can be reshaped and the patient can have some idea of what they will
look like when the work is completed--it is from those models that the
lab duplicates the final work.
Finally, at the end a computer is used to balance bite
and eliminate the chances of TMJ, so that chewing ability is ideal.
Afterwards Gonzalez provides a mouth protector to ensure
the longevity of the work, and recommends regular check-ups every three
months following to preserve the aesthetic work that has been completed.
"Success is not just making the mouth
beautiful," he explained, "but also requires teaching home
maintenance and monitoring progress every three months afterwards, as
well as doing the appropriate cleaning."
Gonzalez's pioneering work has earned him several recent
honors: he was named president of the Latin American Academy of Implant
Dentistry and is the Florida coordinator for Experdent, an association
of expert dentists.
To inquire about an appointment with Gonzalez, he can be
reached at 305 551 4344, and his office is located at 8500 West Flagler
Street, suite B-209.
|
