All I want for Christmas is ’Nice New Teeth’!
Smile in a day with dental implants!
With the arrival of dental implants, a variety of options have opened for people suffering with tooth loss and decay. A dental implant is the closest thing dental professionals can offer as replacement for healthy teeth. For people who are suffering from significant dental disease, there are a variety of implant solutions available.
You may have heard of the phases ‘All-On-4’ or ‘All-on-X’ tooth solutions, but what do they really mean? In short, an ‘All-on-4’ or ‘All-on-X’ treatment means that a patient who either has missing or failing teeth has four or more implants in either the upper or lower jaw. These implants can then be used to support a row of teeth which are permanently fixed into position. Whilst this process can occur in one day, there is often weeks of planning involved to ensure implants are placed in the best bony positions, and the row of teeth achieves the smile that the person is looking for.
So what is the process for a new smile?
Step 1: Appointment 1 – Information gathering (approximately 30 to 40 minutes)
The dental professional will look at the patient’s medical history, digital tooth and gum scans, facial photographs, 2D X-rays, and most importantly a 3D X-ray called a Cone Beam CT scan. The dental practitioner will talk to the patient to understand what they want to achieve, and their unique suitability for dental implants – including the best course of treatment for individual circumstances and costs associated.
If the person is deemed a suitable candidate for digital dental implant treatment, they will be provided with a treatment plan and quote, which is a good time for the patient to ask any further questions. An appointment can then be booked for treatment, which can also be offered using intravenous sedation or general anaesthetic if the patient feels more comfortable having treatment with enhanced comfort. Antibiotics, antiseptic mouth rinses, and good oral hygiene prior to dental implant surgery are necessary and will be prescribed once an appointment for the surgery is made. The surgery can last up to three hours if both upper and lower jaws are involved. Relevant information pamphlets and consents are also discussed.
Step 2: Planning (Between Appointments 1 and 2)
The planning stage is essential in preparing for the implant surgery appointment. Planning includes developing a digital plan for the implant surgery, working closely with the digital scans and X-rays to map the best implant size and positions to place the implants. 3D printing a surgical guide for the dental surgeon to use on the day of surgery is done to ensure the implants are placed in the correct positions. It is necessary to work closely with the dental laboratory to prepare the row of teeth that will be secured to the dental implants. Colour, shape, and size of teeth are all discussed and selected appropriately according to a patient’s preferences. The clinic preparations and communications and planning with the are often completed in seven to 10 days prior to the surgery.
Step 3: Appointment 2 – Dental implants and ‘Nice New Teeth’
The big day has now arrived. The dental surgeon will start by talking to the patient about the procedure, after care, pain management and answer any further questions Depending on the type of anaesthetic administered, there may also be a doctor to talk to about the anaesthetic process and any concerns the patient may have.
Numbing of the jaw and mouth occurs after the anaesthetic is administered, so there is no anxiety involved with this process. Being comfortable and pain-free is of the highest priority. The dental surgeon then removes the failing teeth and dental implants are placed, with X-rays taken to confirm that the final positions of the implants are satisfactory.
The ‘Nice New Teeth’ are now connected to the patient’s dental implants. A three-to-four-month healing period and a soft food diet is required to help preserve the newly placed dental implants. After the healing period has passed, a second and permanent set of ‘Nice New Teeth’ can be organised and placed using several digital solutions and technologies.
Step 4: Appointment 3 – The post procedure review appointment (2 weeks after surgery)
At this appointment, the dental surgeon checks to see how healing is progressing and whether there are any concerns. This appointment is generally short and gives the patient an opportunity for any questions to be answered.