Introduction
Dental implant technology has changed significantly and revolutionized care. The traditional procedure requires removal of the teeth, placement of the implants and waiting 3-6 months for healing time. During the healing period, the patient would not have teeth. Today, however, it is possible to receive a whole new set of teeth (upper arch, lower arc, or both) in a single day.
Argyle Associates in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery can provide teeth in a day – or, even better – teeth in five hours. This technique requires a team of skilled professionals. The process is performed by certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons and a dentist to complete the final phase and a highly-trained staff on-site during the surgery.
How the Procedure Works
The procedure is as follows:
- The patient receives sedation or general anaesthesia
- The teeth in the upper or lower arch are removed
- A minimum of four implants are placed in the jaw
- The prosthesis is fabricated on-site and inserted immediately – it is screwed into the implants, which means the teeth are fixed and not removed
There are several advantages to this technique:
- A faster return to function and work
- Significantly less pain because a denture is not rubbing where the teeth were removed
- The new prosthesis acts as protection to the surgical site
The patient can comfortably eat solid foods, has immediately improved cosmetics, as well as a new confident smile. The process generally takes four to five hours; however, as with any surgical procedure, every case is different and the length of the procedure will vary.
Candidates for Teeth In A Day
Candidates for teeth-in-a-day are either completely without teeth or have teeth that can’t be saved. The general medical health of the patient is considered, as in any surgical intervention. However, if medical issues exist, our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons have the privilege of operating out of one of Ottawa’s hospitals.
To qualify for this procedure, there must be adequate jaw bone for the insertion torque of the implants into the bone at 35 Ncm (they have to be tight in the bone). If we can’t get the implants stable at time of surgery, we will place the implants and wait the traditional three to six months before placing the final prosthesis. During the healing time, the patient will have a traditional removable prosthesis.
This procedure has been available for well over 10 years and has a high success rate. A recent study by Babbush et. al., placing 708 implants in 165 patients, had a cumulative success rate of 99.6 per cent.
The process starts with a consultation with one of our surgeons. You can be referred to our office by your dentist or you can contact us directly for a consultation at (613) 778-8888. Your surgeon will develop a treatment plan that suits your needs. There are several options, starting with the least expensive traditional removable dentures, to the most complex reconstruction with multiple implants.
Case Study: 76 Year Old Male
The patient pictured here is a 76-year-old male. He was frustrated with multiple broken teeth and chronic pain and wanted a total treatment option and not merely to fix one problem at a time, also wanted only one surgery. We created a digital treatment plan and proceeded to perform the computer-guided surgery under sedation in the office. The all-in-four treatment was delivered in one day. The patient had an immediate return to function, minimal pain, and was satisfied with the final result.
This case file and images belong to Dr. Hassan Moghadam, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C). The surgery was performed by Dr. Moghadam at Argyle Associates Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.