TECHNOLOGY AND IMPLANTS: Helping You Chew
In my 23+ years of dental practice, I’ve seen many technologies come and go. However, the one technology that seems to continue to develop to amazing heights is in the world of dental implants Do you have missing teeth due to tooth extractions many years ago? Do you have stomach issues due to your inability to chew food properly? Do you have partial or full dentures that often rub your gums, don’t fi t well or fall out? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, here’s how various technologies have helped so many people live a better life with a healthier mouth.
choosing the proper implant and minimizing the amount of surgery that is required to place the implant. This has resulted in higher success rates and less post-operative pain for our patients.
TECHNOLOGY #3
Guided Surgeries It was then discovered that we can use these 3D x-rays to fabricate extremely precise surgical guides. I’ve used these on numerous occasions, as they allow the placement of an implant to within tenths of millimeters of where it is supposed to go. This once again drastically reduces the amount of surgery that someone needs to go through to have implants placed. Whole jaws can be reconstructed with as little as 4 little pinholes and no stitches and amazing healing with less pain.
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TECHNOLOGY #4
Case 1: Broken Tooth Requiring Implant TECHNOLOGY #1
The Invention of Dental Implants The year was 1965 when Swedish Doctor Per-Invar Branemark accidentally discovered the fusion of bone to titanium and we haven’t looked back since. Dr. Branemark published his 10 year studies in 1982 showing a 97% success rate of osseointegration of implants into human bone. Over the years, we’ve progressed from doing single implants for missing teeth to the All-On-Four System of replacing entire rows of teeth with a large bridge supported by 4 to 6 implants.
TECHNOLOGY # 2
3D Scans I placed my fi rst dental implant over 20 years ago and for the fi rst 9 years or so, we relied on 2 – dimensional x-ray technology to estimate where the implant should best be placed. However, this imaging can be deceiving as the third dimension is critical to safe and predictable implant placement. Cone Beam Computer Aided Tomography has now allowed us to look at the bone shape before any surgery commences. This proves invaluable with implant planning,
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Angled Implants Innovations Many years ago, I was fortunate to be able to visit the Malo Center for Ambulatory Surgery in Rutherford, New Jersey. There, I attended lectures and hands on training being done by Paolo Malo who pioneered the “All-on-Four” Technique for placing full dentures that aren’t removable except when required by the dentist. It was here that I learned the advantages of placing implants at an angle to extend the chewing area that one can have with a non-removable implant denture/bridge. Prior to Dr. Malo’s studies, it was generally believed that implants must be placed in a parallel direction to the bite force. Dr. Malo dispelled this myth and reduced the need for sinus surgery in numerous cases where it was done before.
TECHNOLOGY #5 Getting a same day tooth/teeth
after Tooth Removal All of the above mentioned technologies (plus the invention of Dental CAD-CAM technology) led us to the point today where, teeth can be removed and replaced all in the same day. This has proven invaluable for those who don’t want to walk around with missing teeth for days, weeks or months on end. Teeth are now able to be milled by CAD-CAM milling machines in the same day while you wait. This way, you can walk out
with a better smile than when you walked in. In addition, certain techniques allow for people to walk out with non-removable dentures on the same day that they walked in with removable dentures or even their own teeth. For busy people, the reduction in appointments also means more time to do the things that you want to do.
Case 1: Smile after Implant on Upper Right
The world of dentistry continues to improve each and every year. The precision that great dental companies can produce implants with is the best in history. We expect this to continue with the patients getting better and better service each time. So if any of this interests you, have a conversation with your dentist. If they do implants, they may be able to provide solutions. If your dentist doesn’t place implants, they may be able to refer you to someone that does. Either way, if you need a missing tooth replaced or a solution for a denture that is loose, modern technology can help you get the smile that you’ve always wanted.
Keep Smiling, DR. NICK DOUVIS
(Dr. Douvis is a general dentist with special interests in Cosmetic, Implant, Orthodontic & Sleep Apnea). He maintains a private practice with 6 of his colleagues at River Dental in Medicine Hat, AB, Canada)
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www.RiverDental.com 403.526.5991
BOOMERS | Fall 2019 7
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