Dental implants are a uniquely stable and effective solution for missing teeth. They
are surgically embedded in your jawbones designed to function just like natural
teeth.
With new
technologies stepping in, the world of oral implantology has experienced great
developments, specifically with less invasive and more effective dental implant
techniques such as computer-guided surgery.
Computer-guided
dental implant surgery at Dr. Michael’s allows our surgeons to place implants
in a safe, precise and predictable manner. This technology eliminates all the
guesswork involved in determining which site on the jawbone is best to place
the implants.
Now, we
can do implants without surgical flaps (small
incisions into the gum tissue to allow visualization of the
bone's shape and location). This makes our
patients’ postoperative recovery virtually
nonexistent - no bleeding and no sutures.
What is Guided Surgery?
With the use of advanced 3D technology, guided surgery allows
the surgeon to place the implants in a previously planned area in its exact
place and with greater accuracy. This approach has significantly simplified the
procedure for both patients and surgeons.
Using a specialized software for implants, surgeons can make a
preliminary simulation of how implants will be placed in the mandible or
maxilla of the patient, all of this will happen before the day of the
intervention. This enables us to do the procedure calculated down to the last detail
with practically zero margin of error.
How do surgeons place implants with guided surgery?
The procedure
begins by taking molds of the patient’s teeth in the clinic. The plaster models
are then sent to the lab to build a radiographic template. This radiographic template
is nothing but a small device placed in the patient’s mouth to determine if the
desired implant position is possible. If not, this template can help the
surgeon make decisions on ow to augment a surgical site. These templates are
easily and inexpensively made in our clinics.
The patient will
get a CBCT scan, and this is also done at the same day in our own clinic. Once
made, we're ready to start planning the implant placement. There is no need to
see the patient until the day of the intervention.
Since we have all
the images of the jaw and bone anatomy in our screen, we are able to carefully
study and choose the most suitable implant location. We also get to view the
most ideal place for dentures or crowns in the future. All these are planned with respect to all the
surrounding anatomical barriers like the nerves or sinus.
Once the planning
process is done, the laboratory will send us a customized surgical guide or
template that will be placed in the patient’s mouth during surgery. This
template has accurately measured holes that show where the implants should be
placed.
What are the advantages of guided surgery over traditional
implant placement?
·
It saves a lot of time. A major concern of patients is the idea
of having their mouths open for a long time all throughout the surgery. Surgery
time is considerably reduced because guided surgery allows for a much shorter
intervention.
·
It eliminates the need for detachment of the gums thus
preventing tissue trauma, bleeding and post-surgical discomfort.
·
Recovery is much better. Patients can resume their normal
activity after the surgery.
·
Guided surgery lets surgeons put crowns or dentures in the ideal
screwed retained position improving the biomechanics and the function of these
implants.
