No other specialty field of dentistry has benefited form computer technology as much as Implant Dentistry did.  Combining the technological advances in CT Scan technology, computer imaging and CAD/CAM technology, it is now possible to place the implants AND connect the final prosthesis to them all in the same appointment.

What has taken many months to complete just a few years ago can now literally be completed in one hour.  Beyond that this procedure is usually done without any incision, flap reflection or suturing and with minimal post-operative discomfort.

How is this all possible?  The answer is simple - computer technology.  We at Redondo Beach Dental Group  pride ourselves in being one of the first offices to offer such high-tech procedures.

The Procedure:

Most of the planning is actually being done prior to the surgery of the patient - in fact, the entire implant surgery is actually simulated on a computer prior to the surgical appointment.

The first step is a CT scan that needs to be taken of the jaw that is to receive the implants.  This information is then formatted so that it can be displayed as a 3-D image on a computer screen.

Below to the left is a typical CT Scanner and to the right is a 3-D image of an upper jaw, reformatted from the CT scan data.  This can then be manipulated on a computer screen and examined from all angles.

The two images below show how the virtual implants are placed into the virtual jaw bone and how the angles and trajectories can be checked properly.

Once the implants are "placed", the software can generate the proper positioning of the future teeth in relation to the implants and, more importantly, generate a virtual surgical template that will later be converted into an ultra-precise surgical template via a sophisticated CAD/CAM device.

As you can see above, the software can generate the position of the future teeth and the template design that will be used for the surgery.  The data for the surgical template, which is basically a "drill-guide", will be sent to a CAD/CAM station, which then creates an ultra precise surgical template that will be utilized for the surgery.

In addition, the final prosthesis can be made in advance already, since the final position of the teeth has also been calculated by the software.  All this is happening before you come in for your surgical appointment.  By the time you come in for surgery, the doctor will have the surgical template and the final prosthesis ready for you as can be seen in the images below.

The speed and degree of accuracy that this system offers is astonishing.  Furthermore, the patient ultimately benefits from this technology on many levels.  The surgery is less traumatic, faster and with less post-operative discomfort.  The final prosthesis is delivered at the time of surgery - no impressions, no temporaries.  Lastly, time spent in the dental office is reduced to a minimum.

If you would like to know more about this procedure or schedule a consultation, call us today at 310.542.6988.