Planning, Imaging, and Fitting Technology
To achieve optimal results with your dental implants, we have to make sure the implant isn’t right just for itself, it should be deftly integrated into your entire bite system. That takes precise planning, imaging, and fitting.
Planning your dental implant is aided not only by our years of experience working with implant patients, but also by advancements in computer technology that help us decide how best to place your dental implant. Using detailing images of your bones and soft tissue provided by CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) and other imaging tools, we can determine the best implant and its best placement without exploratory surgery.
We utilize neuromuscular dentistry throughout to make sure your new implant will fit comfortably into your bite. By measuring the tension of muscles and the bite force being placed on your natural teeth before the implant, we are able to plan an implant that fosters a healthy bite. And measuring the state of your bite after the implant is placed, we can be sure that the implant and restoration have been properly fitted.
Improvements in these areas contribute to the use of Teeth in a Day and other similar techniques that allow people to get attractive replacement teeth on the day of their implant procedures.
Implant Technology
The discovery that titanium metal would bond to bone (a process known as “osseointegration”) was made over 60 years ago. It was first applied to dental implants over 50 years ago, although it took about 20 years for the technology to make it to the US. Over the past 50 years, dental implants have diversified into a wide variety of sizes and shapes–including mini implants–that allow us to pick the precise implant for your situation.
There are different sizes and shapes of threading to accommodate for different bone structures. Surface treatments help dental implants better integrate with bone. We have different lengths and widths of implants so that we can match the implant to your anatomy and your cosmetic and functional goals. The benefits of this are clear for patients. All-on-4 and similar systems take advantage of long, angled implants to securely anchor a full arch of dentures with just four implants.
This means that more people than ever are able to enjoy the benefits of dental implants, even people who have been wearing dentures for years. And it maximizes the chances that you will get a lifetime of wear from your dental implants.
Platelet-Rich Plasma and Platelet-Rich Fibrin
One of the most amazing innovations in dental implant technology is the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to improve healing after your dental implant procedure.
PRP and PRF are concentrated healing factors that we take from your blood to speed up healing and prevent infection. To do this, we take a small quantity of your blood. Then we run it through a centrifuge, which spins very fast and separates your blood into its various components. We take the part of the blood that is very rich in platelets and infection-fighting white blood cells. Then we put it in the surgical site.
When the PRP and PRF are in the implant site, they immediately release many important growth factors. This helps the body heal in many ways. PRP and PRF stimulate the body to build cells more quickly. They help the body build the basic scaffolding of bone and gum tissue. They stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, which not only speeds healing, but can head off the rare complication osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). It also stimulates the growth of bone tissue in many subtle but important ways.
The overall effect is a shorter healing time and lower risk of complications. And because PRP and PRF are just components of your blood, they don’t carry risks as we might see from drugs or other foreign substances.
As an alternative or in addition to PRP and PRF, we can utilize stem cells to help your body recover. We can either extract stem cells from your blood or get stem cells from a lab.
Restoration Technology
Dental restorations have come a long way since the first porcelain teeth placed in dentures three hundred years ago. These days, we have advanced far beyond the use of basic porcelain for dental restorations. New restorations can be made from a wide range of advanced ceramics that make them extremely durable. With a dental bridge or full denture, the restorations can even be built around a titanium substructure that adds additional strength.
Dental restorations can take advantage of this added strength to get support from fewer implants. In the past, people may have needed a dozen implants or more for a full mouth replacement. Now All-on-4 and similar systems can replace a full arch of teeth with just four implants.
With restoration technology, we can now offer dental hybrid restorations. Hybrid restorations are attached to dental implants so that you can’t remove them, but your dentist can if necessary for cleaning and repairs. Dental hybrids give the optimal strength and bite force of fixed restorations, but because they can be removed as necessary, repairs are easier and less expensive. Hybrid restorations are probably the best option for most people getting full mouth replacement with dental implants.
And the aesthetics of the new restorations are as good as or better than ever. Once a dental implant is complete, few people will be able to distinguish the implant from your natural teeth.
And restorations can even improve your overall appearance. Combining dental implants with neuromuscular dentures allows us to dramatically rejuvenate your facial appearance, reducing jowls, folds, and facial wrinkles in the lower third of the face.
Great Tools in Talented Hands
Of course, technology is only as good as the dentist who uses it. Although many dentists may employ some of the same technologies, they don’t achieve the same results.
We invite you to consider the quality of results in our Smile Gallery, then schedule a consultation to see more of our great results. We can then plan your own dental implant procedure to ensure you get beyond exceptional results.
For more information about dental implants in Savannah, GA, please call (912) 234-8282 today for an appointment at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
