Nobel Guide
Innovative Dental Implant Procedure
Dental implants provide a base for replacement teeth that look and function like natural teeth. The implants are tiny titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing.
The bone grows to the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth.
STANDARD IMPLANTS: Typically, dental implants are done in two surgical procedures. The dentist will have to refract (peel back) the gum tissue to see just where the implants will go to avoid sensitive nerves. When the proper placement is decided, the dentist will then place the implants into the jawbone. For the first three to six months following that surgery, the implants, which are just below the surface of the gums, bond with the jawbone. While the implants are bonding with the jawbone, the dentist makes new replacement teeth. When the implants are fully bonded with the jawbone (again, a process that takes up to six months), the dentist is ready to fit the new teeth. The second procedure you undergo includes uncovering the implants and attaching the posts that act as anchors for the artificial teeth. The teeth are then attached to those posts.
NOW, FASTER, EASIER IMPLANTS: Now, dentists are offering an innovative way to give you dental implants and teeth in a one-hour office visit. At an initial patient visit, doctors take a 3-D image of the patient's jaw using an ICAT machine. When used with new computer software, the images show dentists the exact anatomy of the patient's jaw without ever having to look in the patient's mouth. Dentists can plan the surgery with pinpoint accuracy using these images and eliminate any potential problems before the patient even arrives at the office for the procedure. The technology eliminates the need for dentists to refract gum tissue to see the patient's jaw, which is a painful process. As doctors are planning this "virtual" surgery, a laboratory molds the replacement teeth.
The surgery is also unique as dentists insert the implant directly through the gums to anchor it to the bone. Most procedures are done by cutting open the gums. No cutting means less trauma and less pain for the patient. When the patient comes for their implants, it takes about an hour to insert the implants and attach the teeth.
Dr. Ingber says, "This is revolutionary. This is one of the most innovative breakthroughs to come along in dentistry in a long time."
