If you have a missing tooth, you have many choices for tooth replacement -- including dental implants, the most stable and efficient of all the dental prosthetic options. Dental implants are a remarkable advancement in dental technology, but they may not be for everyone, as even the most advanced procedures can be limiting or invasive.
Although conventional dental implants are one of the greatest inventions in dentistry in recent years, the dental implant procedure may not be ideal for some candidates.
Some don't like the idea of waiting almost a year to have their tooth replaced. Nor is it for the faint of heart -- fearful patients may not be open to the idea of having dental implant surgery. While local anesthesia is used to prevent pain, patients often have discomfort as the dental implant heals. All of these factors may keep patients from replacing their missing teeth, which can lead to other dental problems down the line!
Improvements in Implants
Luckily, one of the best things to come along in dentistry just got better. New dental technology has improved the dental implant procedure, and dentists literally have the process down to a science! Patients no longer have to wait to replace their missing tooth -- now the dental implant, post and dental crown can be set in just one visit. With immediate dental implants, you don't need to live with a gap in your teeth or wear a fake temporary cap while you wait for the dental implant to heal. And with single-visit dental implants becoming more successful, more patients are inquiring about this procedure.
Using an ICAT Machine, your dentist prepares your dental implant surgery through 3-D imaging. Dentists plan the same-day procedure through a virtual mock-up of your mouth, which eliminates cutting through the gums to find the bone. This, in turn, means less pain and healing time for the patient, and there's no need for a follow-up visit to complete the treatment! During the planning stages, your prosthetic tooth is made in a lab, and will be ready in time for your dental surgery. This amazing procedure bypasses the osseointregration period, where the implant fuses to the bone. Although the implant still needs to heal, it can do so with the dental crown attached, and you can go on with your life as usual!
