Digital dentistry has made a tremendous impact on how dentists diagnose and treat patients for teeth replacement and restorative needs. Here, I would like to explain steps in digital dental implant placement all the way from diagnosis to delivery of different final restorations.
The first step is the digital impression of the teeth using an intra oral scanner which takes about 3000 photos per second to capture the anatomy of the teeth, gum tissue and the bite. Next, a cone beam CT scan is obtained which precisely captures the anatomy of the bone and teeth providing a three dimensional picture in the bone and important structures such as nerves and sinuses. The cone beam CT scan is then merged with the oral scan essentially creating a 3-D model of the patients jaw bone, teeth and the gum tissue. Now, dentist digitally designs the restoration in the required form and the position that fits patient’s bite and also meets the patient’s cosmetic requirements. With the virtual restorations in place, dentist place a corresponding dental implant and align it perfectly according to the position of restoration and the amount of available bone. They can select the exact implant type, diameter and length of the implant at this time. Once the design is approved by the implantologist, surgeon and restorative dentist, who proceed with the fabrication of CAD/CAM surgical guide which essentially translates all the digital work up to a plastic guide used during the procedure for precise placement of the dental implant exactly according to the design. This guide is then placed in the mouth and the dental implant is placed. Following healing, the implant size is again scanned using intra-oral scanner to capture the shape of the gum tissue and also position of the implant. A special scan post is used to precisely record the position of the implant. Next, a custom abutment is designed to specifications in order to develop the proper emergence and gum tissue anatomy that mimics a natural tooth. The restorative dentist will complete and approve this design and instruct the laboratory to proceed with its fabrication. Next, the CAD/CAM customised abutment is milled and delivered to the restorative dentist for insertion. At the same time, final CAD/CAM restoration is also fabricated and placed on the custom abutments. Digital work up and computer assisted dental implant planning allows safe and precise placement of dental implants. This in turn eliminates complications associated with poor implant positioning and orientation. Using this approach, the entire surgical and restorative treatment plans are designed before any procedures are performed on patients. In addition, patients can complete the treatment in less time, less number of visits and also with greater accuracy with remarkable results. In the last few years there has been considerable interest in braces for adult patients. A recent survey, conducted by AAO, showed an increase in the percentage of patients over 21 years of age from a fraction to more than 4% ten years ago, to almost 7% today. Nearly 11% is expected after another decade.
There is no definite age when the male or the female reaches physical maturity, so it is impractical to try and determine exactly when adulthood begins. Since an adult is defined as one who is fully grown, most males of 18 or 19 and most females of 16 could be considered adults. REASONS FOR INCREASE IN ADULT PATIENTS The percentage of adult patients who have received orthodontic treatment has increased significantly in the last decade. From 1970 to 1990, an 800% increase in adult patients was observed. This increase in the past few years has undoubtedly been due to a decreased number of child patients, because of the recent explosion of child activity in the field of preventive dentistry. Harvey G. Barrer observed that the population of children as patients is decreasing, and the number of orthodontists is increasing. At the same time, we find an increase in the number of adult consultations. The reservoir of adult orthodontics is large because of many who could not avail themselves of treatment two or three decades ago. The increasing number of adults requiring or requesting orthodontic treatment can also be ascribed to:
The increased demand for adult orthodontics today can also be ascribed to the following factors:
Schedule your dental appointment today and find out if you might need an orthodontic treatment. Dentists have been replacing teeth for a long time and today they have more ways than ever to do it. There are negative consequences to missing teeth. They can cause chronic headaches, jaw aches, pains going down to the shoulders and back and all kinds of things.
Missing tooth can be replaced in several ways. One common option is replacing a missing tooth with a bridge. A bridge can provide an aesthetic replacement. However, it does require the teeth on each side of space to shape down and used as supports for the bridge restoration. As a result, this irreversibly alters the tooth and its life span may be compromised. Possible complications include root canals, sensitive teeth and decay around the edges of the bridge. The average life span of the bridge is recorded to be 10 to 15years of range. An implant on the other hand is more conservative restoration as it does not involve the surrounding teeth. The implant is placed into the jaw bone and after it attaches to the jaw bone a crown is placed. When these two restorations is compared, you can easily find that both provide aesthetic solution to the replacement of missing teeth. But the thing is, in a bridge if the two supporting teeth have no filling and are really in good shape, a bridge is not so desirable since you normally like to avoid grinding healthy teeth to put on a crown. Dental bridges can work great. But realise you are using the two anchor teeth to support the bridge. If those anchor teeth are not strong to begin with, this added pressure can weaken them further. As bridge involves the adjacent teeth, so if problem arises the surrounding teeth may be jeopardized. An implant is a standalone restoration providing a much more conservative approach to the replacement of a missing tooth. This leaves the other teeth alone. An implant is actually the part that replaces the tooth root and is made of titanium. The actual replacement tooth that you see attaches to the metal implant inside the jaw bone and is made of porcelain to match the surrounding teeth. Implants can also be a little easier to clean than bridges as dental bridges can make dental flossing a bit more challenging. Bridges can be done on implants as well. There really are now many options more than ever before in history. Remember, a regular dental check up can help keep your teeth healthy and small problems can be cured much earlier before a major problem occurs Dental science has recently seen tremendous development in the previous few years. One of those is the development and utilization of dental implants. Previously, missing teeth were replaced by the provision of dental crowns or bridges. These dental appliances, however, did not allow sufficient oral hygiene maintenance, and were prone to dislodgement and fracture. Scientists began looking for an alternative appliance that could be placed directly into the bone, and that provided long term retention. This led to the development of modern implant dentistry procedures and better overall oral health. You want to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to practice good dental hygiene and receive quality dental health care. The health of your teeth and mouth can have a significant impact on the health of the rest of your body so you always want to be sure you follow good practices and see a dentist regularly for checkups and exams. If you live in the Fort Worth area, you can count on the practice of H. Peter Ku, D.D.S., PA and his staff to provide you with everything you need for top quality dental health care. Dr. Ku and his staff will take great care of you from the moment you make your first appointment and will do all that they can to make sure you are comfortable and at ease for each and every visit. Dr. Ku has over 15 years of experience in dental health care and can work with you to make sure you are practicing the best dental health habits on a regular basis. The practice of Dr. H. Peter Ku, D.D.S., PA provides dental care including standard exams, x-rays, root canals, cosmetic dentistry practices, implants, and more. If you want your smile to be the best it can be, contact the practice of Dr. H. Peter Ku, D.D.S., PA. |