Dentistry, like most areas of health care, has gone through a lot of transitions in the past 30 years and this can be directly linked to the introduction of the computer. It has opened up new areas of medical procedures and combined with digital imaging, pinpoint surgery and healing techniques, dentistry has moved effortlessly into the 21st century. This is ever more evident in the use of dental implants and though the theory behind fitting an implant hasn’t changed, the surgery techniques and healing have; it has become an exact science. An implant is used to replace missing teeth and is essentially a new titanium root, screwed into the bone, to which the new teeth are attached. At one time, the whole treatment could be very lengthy and success relied heavily on the healing process, which could take up to 6 months, because the gums would have to be cut and re-stitched. However, the use of digital imaging has allowed the implant to be placed precisely into position and keyhole surgery allows the titanium root to be insert through the gum, minimising the damage and then, the healing can be stimulated with plasma proteins. In the case of mini-implants, used with bridges and dentures, work is complete in a day! With such refinements in implant technology, comes refinement in price- a single implant can be as little as £300 and it’s falling all the time. And it’s not too far off in the future, when such advancements in implant treatments, will finally resign the tricky subject of dentures to the history books.
