Dental Implants are titanium cylinders, usually with screw threads, which replace missing or diseased roots of teeth. Implants are able to retain fixed dental bridges or support and retain removable bridges giving the patient a much improved ability to chew and a more beautiful smile. Dental implants are a wonderful adjunct for the replacement of missing natural teeth and Dr. Loewenstein’s implant protocol has made them easier to get then ever before. The following describes what we do to restore the mouth with implants.
The first step is to fabricate a removable prosthesis, like a denture, which contains the attributes of excellent esthetics and functional bite relationship. The next step is to place radiographic markers in the prosthesis and have the patient complete a cone beam scan, a type of quick CT scan with much lower radiation. We are then able to transfer that information to a very powerful computer and work with a three dimensional duplication of the patient’s jaws. We can virtually place implants in the virtual jaw missing all vital areas like major nerves, blood vessels and sinus while lining up the implants to coincide with the positions of the future new set of teeth. The ideal location of implants means not as many implants are needed for a great result. A surgical guide is then fabricated. This guide insures that the correct implants are placed exactly where planned.
The surgery requires no sutures or cutting open of the gum tissues. Precise holes are drilled at very low speeds with little trauma to the underlying tissues and little to no bleeding. At very low speeds water spray is not necessary. Typical high speed drilling generates heat requiring a water spray to cool the underlying tissue. There is more trauma and destruction of cells as well as washing away of the proteins released which are necessary to start the healing process. Opening of the gum tissues with scalpels cuts the blood supply to the tissues that need it most thereby increasing swelling, pain and healing time.
The surgical guide allows for the production of the master cast. On this master cast a temporary fixed bride is fabricated which is screwed into place immediately after surgery. The patient leaves with a non-removable bridge within three hours of the start of surgery. The implants heal in the exact position planned for, and as a result the final bridgework will fit properly without excessive appointments to correct poorly fitting bridges.
Implant success to date is better than 97%! But what happens if an implant should fail…let’s say in ten years? Will the bridgework have to be remade? With these techniques, the bridge can be removed and the replacement implant can be placed in exactly the same position and therefore the bridge can be put back as before…a savings of many thousand of dollars.
As you can see there really are big differences in procedures. The advantage of this protocol is:
- Little to no bleeding
- Little to no swelling
- Little to no pain
- Less implants required
- Quicker healing times
- Easier repairs and preservation of the bridgework
- Long term much less expensive
If you would like to learn more about these leading edge procedures, call for a free consultation and mention this web site.