What’s a prosthodontist? It’s a question that Dr. Anne Fabricius, owner of Oak Park Prosthodontics, often gets. With her characteristic smile, she will enthusiastically explain that a prosthodontist is a dentist with three additional years of training in restorative dentistry. They are experts in cosmetics, crowns, implants, bridges, dentures, and the management of complex dental problems. Currently there are only four women in Illinois that are board-certified in prosthodontics. Dr. Anne Fabricius is one of them, and the only one in private practice.
A graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Fabricius established Oak Park Prosthodontics in 2013. She offers general dentistry services, such as cleanings; as well as specialty services in the repair and replacement of teeth. In addition to her practice, she also teaches the complete denture course at University of Illinios at Chicago.
Why Prosthodontics? “I love problem solving,” Fabricius says, “I enjoy providing patients with unique solutions to solve a variety of dental problems.” Fabricius also enjoys the challenge and artistry of restoring teeth back to natural beauty. In this sense, prosthodontics is a field that combines medicine, science, and artistry.
Fabricius credits major advances in technology, including new dental materials and computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) with greatly improving patient care. While incorporating these advances in to her practice, she is particularly enthused about Computer Guided Dental Implant Surgery.
A dental implant is a titanium post that replaces the root of a tooth that has been lost. A tooth, multiple teeth, or dentures can be attached to a dental implant. A three-dimensional model of a patient is generated by computer and used to plan the locations of dental implants within the jawbone. A template is custom made for the patient and used during surgery to guide the dental implants into the exact locations that were planned on the digital model.
Implant surgery using a custom template can often be completed in less than an hour, and is most often performed with just local anesthetic. Most patients experience little or no discomfort after implant surgery.
There are significant benefits of computer guided surgery:
• Reduced surgical risk. Because the implants have been planned digitally, the risk of damage to nerves and other teeth is greatly reduced.
• Improved long-term outcomes. When implants are placed in the ideal location, the teeth that are attached to the implants will last longer.
• Fewer surgical procedures. Because dental implants can be guided into tight spaces, the need for bone grafting and other surgical procedures is often eliminated.
• Reduced surgical time. Because the implants have been planned digitally, the surgical time is greatly reduced. Complex surgeries can be performed in under an hour.
• Less pain. Because the surgery is performed faster, there is less post-operative discomfort and pain.
If you are considering getting implants or any type of cosmetic dentistry, or you are just looking for a new dentist for routine care, call Dr. Anne Fabricius. Her office, Oak Park Prosthodontics, is located at 185 N. Marion Street in Downtown Oak Park. Visit the website at OakParkImplants.com or call 708-386-0177.
