As always, your dentist’s main goal is to preserve your natural teeth structure as best to their ability. However, there will be circumstances where teeth need to be extracted. Sometimes, adult teeth might be missing from a person’s dentition. In these cases, prosthetic teeth are recommended to fill in these gaps to prevent other complications in the mouth. Dental implants are the best alternative to natural teeth because they are permanent and extremely durable. They also do not compromise the teeth around them, as dental bridges do. The process of implant surgery can be scary to patients, but new advances in digital surgery have greatly decreased the need for patients to be nervous about getting implants.
There are numerous benefits to the digital planning of implant placement. Scans are taken of the patient’s mouth and jaw, and the data from these digital scans and impressions are uploaded to computer programs. Custom surgeries can be planned using templates created from the programs and simple restorations can be created from the scans and even 3D printed same day in the office. This eliminates the need for patients to leave with temporary restorations, and the patient does not need to return for a second visit for the permanent restoration placement.
Everyone’s mouth is unique so everyone’s surgery is not going to be exactly the same. Using data collected from 3D images of bone and tissue, a patient’s mouth and jaw structure, including their exact bone condition and nerve location, is visible to the dentist without making a single incision in the mouth. This is a huge advantage for the dentist to be able to precisely plan out exactly where small incisions need to be made. The dentist can also decide on the exact size and shape of the implant that will fit perfectly into the specific patient’s bone. During traditional surgery technique, the dentist would need to make a large enough incision in the mouth in order to pull the gums back so they can actually see the bone structure and nerve position. Being able to see this beforehand takes so much stress off the dentist, and even the patient, knowing the dentist has an exact plan for surgery. Not only do the 3D scans allow for individualized implants and restorations, but the shape of bone grafts can be created to fit the patient’s defect perfectly. Digital images and programs allow the dentist to do much of the planning without the patient being there by using the programs. That means less appointments for patient.
Dental programs for implant surgery allow for custom and accurate implant placement and also crown placement. Sometimes the implant is placed, but the crown placement might be off and needs to be modified or shaved down to fit the patient’s bite. With digital dentistry and dental surgery, both the implant and crown and their placements are customized to the patient’s mouth and their unique bite so fitment is perfect. Everything gets planned at the same time so a perfect match can be obtained. Because of the perfect planning with the guides, the fitment is tight which increases the stability of the implant with crown, bridge, or denture placed on top.
The biggest advantage to the patient and also the dentist in having digital software prior to surgery is to minimize any room for errors and to be familiar with the patient’s exact anatomy. With more knowledge of what’s under the gums, the dentist can make smaller incisions which decreases healing time. Some incisions can be so small that sutures may not even be necessary. Small incisions mean less bleeding, swelling, and post-surgery pain for the patient. When the dentists have the entire surgery planned out ahead of time, surgery time using digital programs is a quarter of the time compared to traditional implant surgery. Decreased incision size and the less time the gums are cut, the less chance of infection, which is very important. Patients can feel more at ease knowing their surgery will be short, the incisions will be small enough that sutures will not be needed, and they will have minimal pain during recovery. Overall these guided implant surgeries greatly reduce the chance of problems during and after surgery.
If you are interested in getting implants, ask your Royal Palm Beach dentist about the process of digital programs used in dental surgeries. It is not only a very interesting process, but it makes the process, from start to finish, a lot easier on you as the patient!