Dental implants are the most advanced and advantageous tooth replacement option available today. A restorative option with results that closely mimic the structure of natural teeth, implant dentistry offers advantages that simply cannot be provided by removable dentures or traditional bridges. In recent years, those advantages have been further compounded by technological advancements that have greatly improved the precision, safety and speed of dental implant placement procedures.

Due in large part to that improved technology associated with dental implants, Dr. Emery are able to offer them to a wider range of patients, creating beautiful, healthy, new smiles for more people than ever before.

Dental Implants: Cutting-Edge i-CAT 3-D Imaging

Imaging is the area in which many of the most important technological advancements in implant dentistry have occurred. Three dimensional imaging, for instance, has revolutionized implant dentistry by allowing greater precision in planning the placement of dental implants. Oral surgeons, with the use of i-CAT cone beam technology, can create precise, high-definition, three-dimensional anatomical images of a patients face and jaw bones.

This allows a more thorough and accurate evaluation of vital factors that can affect implant placement than X-rays can, including bone quality in the jaw and the location of sinus cavities, among many others. Creating these superior, distortion-free images is a quick and painless procedure, requiring a simple scan that is completed in less than 10 seconds.

The i-CAT scan is a low radiation procedure, with 10 times less exposure than a typical medical CT scan, and is done in a comfortable, open environment.

Dental Imaging Software Enables Exacting and Comprehensive Surgical Planning

Anatomage InVivoDental software is another of those cutting-edge technologies that has a profound impact on dental implantology. This specialized volumetric-imaging software processes the data gathered by the I-CAT system into a three-dimensional, interactive visualization of a patient’s oral and maxillofacial anatomy.

This image gives oral surgeons the ability to take precise measurements of spaces, volumes and distances vital to accurate implant placement and alignment, combine clinical data from multiple sources for comprehensive surgical planning, and create dynamic virtual simulations of a procedure, all factors that enhance the accuracy and safety of dental implant procedures.

Dental Implants: Image Guided Dental Implant Procedures

Image guided surgery is yet another revolutionary advancement in implant dentistry, providing oral and maxillofacial surgeons with a virtual navigator during implant procedures. This technology uses the surgical planning guides created with InVivoDental software to create an interactive, real-time guide that provides a precise indication of the optimal point for the placement of each dental implant.

This virtual guide uses real-time images of bone and tissue, rather than previously produced ones, offering a higher level of accuracy and precision that allows for smaller incisions, faster recovery and less risk of complications.

Digital Impressions

When preparing for dental implants, patients are sure to appreciate the greater ease and speed with which the impressions needed to fabricate their replacement teeth are made today. Digital impressions, done with 3-D scanning technology, have made those uncomfortable sessions with impression putties obsolete, offering an accurate depiction of the contours of teeth and gums in minutes.

What all this means is that restoring a brilliant and healthy smile with dental implants is easier and safer than ever before. Today’s technology has made the process a much more comfortable and convenient one than it was just a decade ago. So if you have been considering dental implants to remedy less than perfect smile, there is no time like the present to take advantage of the exciting changes that have revolutionized the field of dental implantology.

Request an appointment for a consultation with our doctors to learn more.