The teeth in a day treatment is when we plan to place teeth on to the implants all in the
same setting. So dental implants are used to a place failing or missing teeth and this
could be a single tooth or multiple teeth. Traditionally, this will be done in multiple
stages. So, you'd have the tooth removed and allow the site to heal for two to four months.
After which you would place the implant, you then need to wait another few months for the
bone to grow onto the implant before you can connect the artificial teeth to the implant
in the form of a crown or a bridge. With teeth in a day, you are looking to combine those
appointments or combine those stages so we do more in each setting. And what this means
is less surgical visits for our patients, quicker recovery time and quicker to get to
the end result. It also means they don't need any temporary denture or temporary bridge
during the healing phase and often result in better cosmetic outcomes.
The aim of teeth in a day is for our patients to leave with teeth connected to their implants
all in one visit. This requires much more thorough planning and more skill on the dentist's
side. The first appointments will be for very accurate record-keeping in the form of 3D
x-rays, digital impressions and planning on the computer implant software. Once it's been
planned out carefully, you'll be booked in the surgery visit. Because everything's been
planned out to precision, this can often result in shorter surgery time and at all points
during the procedure the patient is in control and we ensure they are very comfortable. Following
the surgery, we book a review appointment for two weeks later to check the healing and
make sure everything is being taken care of the way it should. This is a much more preferred
method for patients because their aim with implants is to get fixed teeth. This enables
them to have fixed teeth from the onset avoiding the need for removable dentures or a temporary
bridge. For all dental implants, our patients must
have excellent oral care and we'll often go through techniques on how they can achieve
that before we start the treatment, because we want the end results to last as long as
possible. We also need our patients to be healthy and have a good healthy immune system.
But in particular for same-day implants, we also require the area to be free of infection
and any swelling and there to be adequate bone to place the implant on the same day.
We also ask our patients not to smoke for at least three months before any implant’s
placement to three months after the implants placement or ideally to stop smoking altogether.
Well, at The White Bridge Clinic we have invested heavily into technology to ensure our patients
get the best treatment and the best outcome. We can take 3D x-rays. This allows you to
see the bone in different volumes in width and height so we can very accurately plan
where the implants are going to go. We take impressions digitally as well. So, we can
combine the 3D x-ray with a scan of your mouth on a computer software to allow us to very
carefully planned procedure from start to finish. Also, we now have a navigation system
and this allows us to see in real-time video where we are placing the implants during the
procedure. Very close to keyhole surgery. This makes procedure far less invasive and
gives a quicker surgery time and quicker recovery time to our patients.
Well, the most important thing we can do is offer our patients time. Time to listen and
understand what it is they are looking for. This is the most important part because with
this understanding we hope to get the outcome that our patients want. We also invest in
technology to allow us to very carefully plan their treatment so they understand what they're
going to achieve at the end of it and we can provide surgery that is more predictable,
quicker and the faster recovery time. During the surgery, we book longer appointments so
our patients can relax and have time to stop and start as they wish and tell us how we
can make them more comfortable. I do believe dental implant treatment should be comfortable
and can be comfortable. As long as that communication is there between the dentist and patients,
there's no reason for this not to happen. For patients who are more anxious or for more
complex procedures, we do offer dental sedation as well and this enables patients to not remember
anything afterwards and be in a far more relaxed state.