Did you know that approximately 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth? Fortunately, just because you’ve lost a tooth doesn’t mean that you need to go the rest of your life with an empty space in your smile. Dental implants replace the roots of missing teeth, allowing for a variety of benefits that you can’t get from other tooth replacement options. They are becoming more and more popular each year with more than 500,000 being placed annually. Here are some of the newest innovations that dental implant technology has to offer.
Planning and Selections
When someone is preparing to have dental implants placed, their dentist will use planning software. This permits the merging of CBCT technology (DICOM) and digital impressions. This allows the dentist to create a digital plan for the patient. Ultimately, dental implants must be strategically and precisely placed in the jawbone so they can be supported. Computer-aided design and manufacturing help to make this planning process much easier than ever before!
Computer-Guided Dental Implant Surgery
Once the final plan and selection are complete, the dental implants need to be precisely placed so they have the best chance of success. Through guided surgery, the implants can be placed in 4-dimensions. This fully guided dental implant surgery is the most precise method of replicating the digital plan in the oral cavity. By using this technology to perform the procedure, there will be fewer surprises and problems that could occur when the surgery takes place.
Antibacterial Coating
This isn’t widely available quite yet, but this innovation can help to increase the longevity of dental implants. The crowns that are attached to dental implants are very resistant to decay, but foods and drinks that are on the acidic side can cause erosion to the natural teeth and dental implants. With this recent development, patients with dental implants have more freedom to drink and eat the things they want without worrying about damaging their replacement teeth.
Dental implants are already a preferred tooth replacement option, and they are only getting better and better as dental techniques and technology become more advanced. If you’re missing teeth, you can count on dental implants to restore your pearly whites and give you a full smile to show off again.
About the Author
Dr. Suzanne Najjar earned her dental doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. She underwent advanced dental implant training from the Advanced Dental Implant Research and Implant Center, which is one of the world’s leading institutions. Currently, she is a proud member of the American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. For more information or to schedule a consultation at her office in DeSoto, visit her website or call (972) 230-1100.