Implants use cutting-edge technology to give patients realistic tooth replacements.

Dental implants are the best modern method to permanently replace teeth, providing a deeply rooted prosthetic tooth that looks and feels natural, protecting your overall oral health, and preventing bone loss in your jaw—all without requiring dental work on nearby healthy teeth, which tooth replacements like bridges do. Over the years, advances in technology have made implants more affordable, effective, easier to receive, and more successful than ever before—and new technology is continuing to improve the treatment. Here are a few ways dental implants have changed in the last 10 years.

Digital CT imaging helps dentists plan the placement of your implant’s “root”.

Finding the right placement for the “root” of your dental implant is a huge part of guaranteeing the procedure’s long-term success, so it’s vital to get it right. Digital CT imaging is comfortable and easy, taking only 20 seconds to scan your entire mouth. It uses this scan to produce a 3D digital image of your teeth and jaws, which Dr. Bentz uses to determine the ideal placement for your tooth implant. This technology is more accurate, less invasive, and quicker than previous methods, saving you time while helping Dr. Bentz provide you with the best possible surgical outcome.

Digital impressions make messy, nasty-tasting putty unnecessary.

Until recently, designing the crown of your implant required dentists to use a messy, nasty-tasting putty to take an impression of your teeth. Thankfully, new technology has put putty firmly in the rear-view; instead, Dr. Bentz takes digital impressions of your teeth using a handheld laser scanner. The wand is about the size of an electric toothbrush and simply needs to be passed over your teeth to create a highly detailed 3D model of your teeth. Since even a few air bubbles can ruin an impression taken by putty, digital scans are more accurate as well as quicker, easier, and more comfortable for you. Additionally, Dr. Bentz can use the accurate 3D model to easily design a crown to top your dental implant, ensuring it fits perfectly.

Lasers cut down on recovery time.

Dental lasers might sound like they belong in a science fiction novel, but they’re in use in many dental offices across America—and they offer multiple benefits when compared with traditional dental tools. Lasers are incredibly precise, quick tools that cauterize and sterilize tissue as they cut, so using a laser instead of a scalpel during your procedure minimizes bleeding and swelling, reduces your chances of getting an infection, and encourages faster healing. These factors work together to allow you a faster recovery time with less discomfort, which is always preferable.

OraVerse reduces the time you’ll spend with a numb mouth.

Even if you haven’t experienced it yourself, you’ve likely heard of the infamous “fat lip” sensation caused by the lingering numbness of dental anesthetics. This sensation, which can last three to five hours after your dental procedure, is infamous for making people feel awkward and self-conscious. It makes drinking, eating, and speaking awkward, can cause drooling, and can easily cause you to bite your lip or cheek without realizing it.

Thankfully, recent advances have led to the development of OraVerse, which is the first safe, effective reversal agent for the local anesthetics used by dentists. Since OraVerse actively reverses the anesthetic, you’ll regain normal sensation in your mouth in about half the time it’d take if you waited for the anesthetic to wear off. This allows you to return to your daily routine of work or errands with confidence.

Technological improvements have caused the success rate of dental implants to soar.

Thanks to technological advancements, implants have an incredibly high success rate—in fact, their success rate is up to 98%. This is particularly true if you receive your tooth implant at a specialty clinic like Bentz Dental Implant and Prosthodontic Center, which specializes in the procedure and uses cutting-edge technology to give you the best possible outcome in both the short and long term. If you take good care of your dental implant, it should last you an entire lifetime.

New advances in technology are constantly improving medical procedures like dental implants. They have made the procedure more accessible to everyone while helping patients receive a better outcome and shorter recovery time.

For more on dental implants, you might want to read these posts:

• Why Choose a Dental Implant for a Beautiful Smile?
• Does the Placement of Implants Hurt?
• Bone Grafting for Dental Implants

If you’re interested in learning more about dental implants, whether they’re right for you, and what cutting-edge technologies we’re using to give you the best outcome possible, feel free to call our office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Bentz. We can’t wait to see you and help you on your journey!