"the wellness hour," the leader in medical news and information. i'm randy alvarez. today's topic -- replacing missing teeth with dental implants. and according to my first guest, she says nobody should be wearing a traditional denture. no more dentures. with us, we have an expert on the topic, dr. nicole mackie. dr. mackie, welcome to the program. >> thank you for having me. >> so, tell me a little bit about your role as the prosthodontist, and who's the typical patient? >> we don't really hava typical patient. patients can be any kind of walk of life, any different kind of background. you can have a young person who was in an accident, congenitally missing teeth, they were born without those teeth. you can have an elderly person who's been in a denture for years and they're just sick of it. or you can have a middle-aged adult who's just had many different dental problems and they're constantly in a dental chair, and you just want that permanent solution. and my role as the prosthodontist is to help design and make that smile and those

how they intended to be. >> now, you know what i like about you? we were talking about the benefits of dental implants, right? >> mm-hmm. >> and you had this story about that there's very few things in dentistry where the patient are so happy. elaborate on that. >> well, you know, before you're a prosthodontist, you're a general dentist. and, you know, you do great work for your patients, but you never get hugs or the feelings of appreciation by doing cavities or regular crowns. but when you're changing someone's smile, thus their life, and their whole mouth is completely different than how they came in, they're crying, they're hugging, and they're expressing so much emotion to you. it's just the best feeling ever. and you don't get that from just a filling or a cleaning. >> at the top of the show, i said, "no more dentures." you don't think anybody should be wearing a denture -- a traditional denture. >> no. no.

>> in today's world, with all of our technology and our advancements in dentistry, we don't have to have patients wearing dentures. they can have dental implants anchored into their available bone and a fixed set of teeth. and a lot of patients think that tooth. anymore. with the way that implants are made now, the surface properties and the way that we can see how they will be in the jawbone, computer technology, i-cat scans, all this different kinds of information, we know where to put them. a patient could have four implants and a full set of fixed permanent teeth. >> so, permanent teeth. now, you talk in terms of, like, people walk in to your center, some without teeth. >> right. >> and then, on the day of the procedure, they walk out with a fixed set of teeth. >> exactly. >> is that true? i mean, you see that? >> 100%, yep. so, let's say a patient is wearing a denture, and, like i said earlier, they're sick

they're over it. they want those permanent teeth. they have a wedding coming up, and they want to smile for their daughter's pictures. >> okay. >> yeah. and they say, "dr. mackie, i just want to look great and just enjoy this moment with her." so, you know, we design the smile on the first appointment, and we talk about everything that they like and even things that they don't like. >> as far as the way the teeth are gonna look? >> exactly. >> okay. >> take some molds, and we actually put their molds on a machine, study the way the jaw interacts, simulating it with that way that they are, and basically, the next appointment, they go into surgery with the oral surgeon, have those implants placed, i go in there, i do my little magic, i put on their fixed, full set of permanent teeth, they come out of anesthetic, i hand them the mirror, and then the reaction

this is where sometimes, personally, my heart melts for them. they smile, they -- they can't believe their eyes. they're in shock sometimes. and some of them are overjoyed immediately. they have been living with either no teeth or really bad situations for such a long period of time that they can't believe that they've come to that particular point that they're at. and it's just a really wonderful feeling. >> in las vegas, i mean, are there a lot of people wearing dentures? is this a problem there? >> it is a problem. there's tens of thousands of people in vegas who are wearing dentures, just like anywhere else in the united states. statistics show about 20 million people are in some sort of a denture. so, vegas? like everywhere else. you know, there's some patients out there, either an upper, a lower, or both. and then there's another group of people, another tens of

dentures. so clearchoice -- >> and that's what you deal with, like, every day. >> yes. clearchoice will help those patients who are either in the denture or are heading towards dentures. and we can give them that permanent solution to avoid wearing the dentures, if they're headed towards them, or get rid of those dentures. you don't have to put your teeth in a cup every night. >> we're gonna take a quick break. when we come back, a little bit about the process of what somebody can expect that goes in. you're watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. we'll be right back. >> i do get a lot of compliments about my smile. it makes me feel more self-confident. my teeth just were not healthy. it did change my eating habits. foods started hurting my teeth, like steak, corn on the cob. this was something i had to do for me. and now i can eat anything i want. i would never consider dentures. i had my consultation with clearchoice.

thousands who've already set their smiles free at clearchoice. call or click to schedule your free consultation with our team of experts. >> everything was all under one roof. the doctors, the surgeon, prosthodontist, the lab. i walked out of there with the teeth that i wanted, all done in one day. i'm extremely happy that i made that investment in me, because i know it's gonna last me the rest of my life. my husband loves them. and i will always have this smile. always. [ laughs ] >> male announcer: don't wait another day. call clearchoice now. >> you're watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. today's topic -- replacing missing teeth with dental implants. according to my first guest, no more dentures. nobody should be wearing dentures. now, you mentioned at the break that there's tens of thousands of people in las vegas with an upper or lower denture. another thousands of people that are about to get false teeth. and if dental implants are so

come in in one day, they get a fixed set of teeth -- permanent teeth -- why aren't they all doing it? what's your take? >> randy, there are so many reasons why. but i'm gonna tell you a few of the major ones. for the denture wearer, they're in a denture, they feel that they're done. they don't have any teeth left. so they feel, what's the point of going to the dentist anymore, unless there's major problems. so, they're out of the loop. they're out of the system. they're wearing a denture, and oftentimes, they have a sore spot. they just want it relieved, so they're not even offered dental implants. >> so they go to the dentist for, like, a realign or -- >> exactly. >> okay. >> and then there's another group of patients who've been in the dental chair way too many times, and they're just sick of it and over it. that's the last place where they want to be again. >> do you still hear that, where they say, "no offense, doctor, but i don't like the dentist"? >> yeah, all the time. >> do they say that even to you? >> yeah. >> what do you say? do you have a comeback? >> i just say, "give me a chance and let me change your opinion." and i usually do.

so, i'm sorry for interrupting, but we were talking about why people aren't doing this. so, number one, i guess, they don't go to the dentist anymore. nobody's telling them to do it. number two, i think you mentioned, they're afraid of the dentist. >> afraid, yes. they have had numerous of bad experiences and just failing procedures after failing issues or problems, et cetera. and they think that it's really expensive. but let me tell you, at clearchoice, what we have done, we have taken the most important factors, the most important players of dental implants and the specialists and put them under one roof. so instead of a patient going to your general dentist and then being referred to the oral surgeon and then being referred to the prosthodontist, who refers to the imaging center, who refers back to the general dentist, who refers back to the oral surgeon... done? >> ...to the dental lab... oh, absolutely.

at each place. so the patient does incur a lot of excess fees. so the way we do it at clearchoice is, under one roof, we have myself, the prosthodontist, expert in diagnosis, treatment planning, designing that smile, making the smile for the patient. the oral surgeon -- expert at the bone and placing the implant. >> together, right there? >> oh, yes. >> okay. >> we have the dental technician, the lab, all under one roof. and then we have our imaging -- three-dimensional imaging, state-of-the-art, computer, everything. >> is this why this whole same-day philosophy -- you're able to do it quicker? >> it's streamlined, and it's very efficient. so, we have taken the best, and we have educated, and we have studied the way that it's done, the most efficient, properly, for the best for the patient, and they have one fee, and that's it.

in fact, sometimes the patient's even saving money. so, you know, i have total respect for all of the doctors that are in any location, any area, that are trying to do it themselves. >> do it all themselves. >> yeah. but at clearchoice, it is done and studied and made in a way to be so efficient. and safety is our biggest priority. i mean, from when i first started working, i've worked in 21 different dental offices. there is not an "i" that is not dotted or a "t" that is not crossed at clearchoice. we are set up in a way that we have our facilities where we have recovery rooms even for the patients. >> after dental school, you spent five years in specialized training. >> yes. >> tell me a little bit about that. >> so, dental school's four years, and you can go out and practice as a general dentist then, but for me, i've always been a perfectionist at what i do. i'm very attention, detail-orientated.

person as your boss or your spouse, but you, for sure, want them as your prosthodontist. >> a perfectionist. >> yes, the person who is making your smile, your mouth, your -- the way that you, you know, speak and smile to the world. so, i went to school for three years of classical prosthodontic training, which is to reconstruct a mouth, implant training, and how to study the way that the mouth functions with the joints, the materials used. and then another two years just with implants and prosthodontics. >> is there that much to this, by the way? >> it really is. you don't want to -- look, if you're gonna be redoing your mouth and you have already gone through all these years of uncomfortable experiences or just not the best care, you want to go to a specialist. you want to go to a prosthodontist and an oral surgeon. >> that's your feeling, your opinion. >> yes. you want to go to the best. >> okay, good. you know, people need to know, we're talking about replacing

implants. dr. mackie says no more dentures. and people need to know that i'm not endorsing you on this program. i'm just asking questions. but people will visit our website and ask for referrals. and we try not to give referrals, ever. we're not supposed to. but i do say go to a specialist, and that's whether it's in plastic surgery or endocrinology... >> right. >> because, i think, if you're gonna do this, you want a predictable outcome. so, how old can you be to do this? >> well, age is really not a contraindication to dental implants. in fact, i've had a 94-year-old patient. >> really? >> yeah. >> why would a 94-year-old want to do this? >> she wanted to eat, she wanted to chew, she wanted to spend time with her grandkids and eat hot dogs with them. >> okay. all right. do people tell you eating stories, like what they're missing out on sometimes? >> all the time. vegas -- the best restaurants and best chefs everywhere. >> that's what you like about

so, can they eat a steak? i mean, once they get their fixed set of teeth and they're healed up, are they limited? i mean, can they eat a carrot with their front teeth or a broccoli or whatever? >> 100%. right after surgery, we'll say a soft diet, but when they get their fixed teeth in, yeah, they're eating broccoli, they're eating carrots, they're eating cucumbers, they're eating that crunchy salad that they missed out on for so long. they're getting the nutrients that they need, really, to feel better. so, not only are they feeling better on the inside, but they look better, and their just whole outlook on life is changing. they're going out to those restaurants at nighttime on the strip and eating the steak instead of having to get the cod or the fish that they used to have to get. and they're just really, really loving their life. >> but isn't it true that, if you've been wearing dentures for 30 years that you may not have enough bone to do this? >> well, that was kind of a thought of the past, but now

imaging and everything, we're able to see where the bone is, and the way that the implants are designed now, we can put them in a place where there is bone, and we usually can find a place. >> so rarely do you have to turn somebody away. >> rarely. and no more going to another surgical site like the old way of going to a hip for some bone-grafting material or anything like that. that is done. >> we're gonna take another break. we come back, and i want to go over the frequently asked questions these people have when they visit you. >> sure. >> you're watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. we'll be right back. >> you have to have confidence on this job. anything that takes away from that puts you at risk. i get compliments all the time. "oh, my god. i can't believe how beautiful your teeth are." my self-confidence has gone up. this smile is one of the first things that people see. i mean, i used to always smile. i would keep my lips on my teeth. my dental problems started years ago with fillings and root canals. and i was looking at, at some point, my teeth falling out.

clearchoice didn't just give me new teeth. they set me free to be who i want to be. >> male announcer: join the thousands who've already set their smiles free at clearchoice. call or click to schedule your free consultation with our team of experts. >> it was a one-day process. i would walk out with a smile the same day. the lab, the surgery, any work that you need done, it's all done at one location. they not only helped to rebuild my smile but helped me to rebuild my self-confidence. they really set me free. i mean, look at this smile. >> male announcer: don't wait another day. call clearchoice now. >> you're watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. today's topic -- replacing missing teeth with dental implants. and dr. mackie says no more dentures. okay. so nobody should be wearing dentures. >> no. >> not to-- is that the future of dentistry, where dentures, the way we know them today, will all be attached to something? >> it's the now and, of course, the future, yes. >> now, i know a few denture wearers, and they don't seem to complain at all about their

are you saying there's no such thing as a happy denture-wearer? >> randy, they're not complaining to you because you're not a dentist or a prosthodontist. >> okay, good point. all right. >> so, they don't want to advertise they're wearing a denture, either, to you, okay? let me tell you, a denture wearer is not maybe the happiest person. sometimes they have to put a ton of adhesive or that glue even to keep it in place, okay? and a lot of them tell me they're not even ordering the foods that they like at a restaurant. they don't want to always have to get soup or the softest thing on the menu. >> mm-hmm. >> they don't want to have to put their teeth in a cup, especially my women patients. some of them have to wake up extra early just so they can put in their teeth so their husbands don't see their face sunk in. and the outdoor activities that my patients want to do. some of them are retiring. some of them are still enjoying their lives. or i have one patient, she does laps every morning. >> in the pool. >> yeah, but she had to stop because her teeth were moving, and she was just feeling

take her teeth out just to go swimming because she was with other people. and one of her girlfriends was in a swimming class with her, and she was super-embarrassed. so, it wasn't a good life for her. so they're avoiding the outdoor activities they like. she wasn't playing tennis. he wasn't doing his fun things that he wanted to do. so i'm saying, you know what? come in for a free consultation. let's do your scan, let's talk about what you want. across the board? >> across the board. >> nice. do they see you? >> yeah. >> okay. they meet with you. all right. >> we'll talk about all of their needs, what their wants are, any things that they have any questions about, you know? >> okay, okay. but one of the things i have to ask you is pain. it does seem painful. >> mm-hmm. great question. so, pain is relative, right? in the old days, before our great imaging and everything, we didn't really know exactly how much bone the patient had or where it was or where we could place that implant. so the patient's gums had to be

and surgery was much more intensive and invasive. now, with the way that we have our scanning and the ability to see exactly where the bone is, the surgery is much less invasive. and they're given the pain medication during the surgery. and then after surgery, they're given medication to control their pain. a lot of the patients even say, "you know what? dr. mackie, that was it? all that i had to take was motrin or advil." >> and as you say, obviously, there's swelling and some people have more pain than others. >> right. >> but don't let your fear of pain keep you from doing this. >> exactly. follow the post-operative instructions, ice always helps -- you know, different things like that, of course. >> we're gonna take a quick break. we come back, more about how to get started. you're watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. we'll be right back. >> female announcer: america is getting more and more beautiful every day. smiles are brighter, confidence is higher, outlooks on life are improving daily. why?

going online to schedule an appointment at clearchoice dental implant centers. clearchoice is leading america's smile freedom movement. more people trust us for implants than any other brand. and it all starts with that first call or click. schedule today and your consultation will include a 3-d ct scan. it's time to put caps, crowns, bridges, dentures, and gum disease in your past and let your true self shine into the future. don't hide your smile another day. join the thousands who have set their smiles free. call or go online now. let's make america more beautiful one smile at a time. >> you're watching "the wellness hour," the leader in medical news and information. i'm randy alvarez. today's topic -- replacing missing teeth with dental implants. and according to dr. mackie, nobody should be wearing a denture in today's -- you know,

what implants have to offer. okay. dr. mackie. >> yes. >> snap in, snap out is popular across the country, and i know that you told me clearchoice does a little bit of that. but the focus is a fix-in teeth. >> snap in, snap out is an option, but at clearchoice, we listen to our patients. they come to us 'cause they want permanent teeth. they want fixed, locked-in-the-jaw teeth. so, i mean, it's an okay procedure. it's still a denture, though. you still take -- >> that means the snap in, snap out? >> exactly. you still take it out at night. it still sits in that glass. and there's quite a lot of maintenance with the little components that actually snap in, snap out. but the permanent set of teeth that don't come in and out, those patients are back in the system. they're back to brushing and flossing, they're getting their checkups, they're starting to take care of not only their teeth but their skin, their -- their whole life. >> a smile is pretty important. >> yes, it is. >> no, you're a dentist.

how important is it? >> no, look at -- you have a job. you have somebody going up for a new job, and they're maybe a little bit self-conscious or depressed. and then you have the person who's smiling and bubbly and happy. who is the employer gonna hire? and it's not just because, oh, they can eat a little bit better or their teeth are that much more perfect than another person. it's because their confidence is showing through. it's their well-being. and then there's some people, they just want to come in, they want to eat better, they want to chew better. and then they start getting all these compliments. "oh, my god. you look so great. you look fabulous." and then they tell me, "you know what? i came in 'cause i wanted to eat better," but they're looking better, they're feeling better. the women who were divorced like five years, who just were sitting around their house, are now dating and dancing and going to live music. >> so, for some people, by fixing their teeth, they become

>> oh, yeah. they become more active, they become more social, they become alive again. they are living. you know, in life, if there's something that you don't like about yourself or you're feeling self-conscious, it holds you back. so people who have been so self-conscious about their mouths, either putting their hand in front of their face or kind of drawing in, or the man that grew his facial hair over his mouth maybe just because he wanted to hide his teeth, you know, it holds you back. so, the people, they come in, they patients -- they're changed. >> their self-confidence is low when they walk in. when it's all done... >> exactly. and their -- their inner self starts showing through. >> now, we've talked a lot about denture wearers, but you guys specialize in the people that their teeth are literally -- >> right. >> and we're low on time here. >> mm-hmm. >> but their mouths are a mess. they still qualify?

bad to have dental implants? >> no. in fact, it's either the bad teeth, when they come out, they're rid of the problem, because the teeth and the bacteria were causing those issues. so now you get rid of the teeth, you get rid of all the bad things that were going on with those. now you have a solid foundation, ready to put in dental implants. >> you say patients come in -- we were talking in the green room -- that their mouths are such a mess that they say, "doc, this is the worst you've ever seen." >> they say that because they think that they are the worst because they don't see other people or talk to other people, because everyone who's in that condition is hiding. and -- >> they cover their smile. >> yeah, they cover it. and they don't -- i mean, they're not a prosthodontist or an oral surgeon who sees this, you know? so at the end of the day, when they get their fixed set of teeth and they were a little skeptical in the beginning, they're that much more surprised and happy because they've had either years of dentistry that

now it's working for them, and it's a solution. >> the consultation's free, right? a lot of dentists -- and this sounds like i'm siding with you. i am not. but a lot of dentists charge for consults. you don't. >> no. >> so the barrier, as you say, is lowered so everybody gets a chance. >> everyone gets a chance. come in, see us, talk about what your concerns are, what you want, what's your goals, what event do you have coming up, do you have -- you know that wedding you're looking forward to taking those photos for? >> good. you love this, by the way. >> i do. it's a passion of mine. i love helping people because i always feel that if i was in that situation, how would i want it done to me? and, you know, a lot of doctors say, "i love to help people," but i really do. and i just always put myself in that person's chair. >> now, i know your dad's a dentist. when you first started with clearchoice, were you calling him and telling him these kind of things?

place is amazing. >> [ laughs ] >> i have been through the ringer with my training but have never seen something so efficient. >> walk in the day of the procedure without teeth, walk out with teeth. >> yeah. >> that are fixed in place. >> yeah, in place. >> i want to thank you for coming on the show. very, very good. >> i really appreciate it. >> you've been watching "the wellness hour." i'm randy alvarez. for now, i wish you good health. >> male announcer: thanks for watching "the wellness hour," the leader in medical news, with your host, randy alvarez, the authority on health issues. >> my teeth just were not healthy. foods started hurting my teeth, like steak, corn on the cob. i would never consider dentures. i had my consultation with clearchoice. this is something i had to do for me. >> male announcer: at clearchoice, we bring hope to millions who suffer from missing or failing teeth with dental implants that look, feel, and function like strong, natural teeth. >> all the specialists with all the technology they need are in one spot.

21st-century world-class dentistry very convenient, and we do it in one day. >> male announcer: our doctors use precise technology in a warm, welcoming environment to create your new healthy smile. >> i walked out of there with the teeth that i wanted. i do get a lot of compliments about my smile. >> male announcer: call today to schedule your free comprehensive consultation and i-cap 3-d imaging scan. we'll even talk financing options while you're here. >> my husband loves them, and i will always have this smile. always. [ laughs ] >> announcer: call clearchoice today. >> female announcer: america is getting more and more beautiful every day. smiles are brighter, confidence is higher, outlooks on life are improving daily. why? because people are calling or going online to schedule an appointment at clearchoice dental implant centers. clearchoice is leading america's smile freedom movement.

implants than any other brand. and it all starts with that first call or click. schedule today and your consultation will include a 3-d ct scan. it's time to put caps, crowns, bridges, dentures, and gum disease in your past and let your true self shine into the future. day. join the thousands who have set their smiles free. call or go online now.

beautiful one smile at a time. safety commission, saying that if you are bringing a product in, not meeting these standard, we will kid them defective. the fire aper to stem from excess heat. generated by the board's lithium batteries. >> you can clearly look at this device, see that the fire started inside the device. e of the manufacturers. sc is actively investigating e of the biggest. agway, hit with a class action mplaint in december. shable says it received a statement from swagway saturday. in complying with the cpsc requirements we ask customers who purchase a swagway to retrain from using their board

>> recalls are inevitable. it will happen. >> on sunday, stwagwagway told cbs news, there was a miscommunication with mashable. it said it is not asking customers to stop using hover boards and products always met international safety standards using industry approved materials. in a statement, swagway says it is in support of complying with new guidelines set forth by the cpsc. >> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. your heart loves omega-3s. but the omega-3s in fish oil differ from megared krill oil. unlike fish oil, megared is easily absorbed by your body. megared.