Dental Implants
& The Power of 3D CBCT Technology
Get Better Dental Implants with 3D CBCT Technology
Dental Depot performs 99% of our dental implant procedures with the aid of 3D CBCT dental imaging technology. We’re one of only a few dental offices in the Oklahoma City area to use CBCT scanning, and our ability to offer you this technology brings with it a host of benefits, including far better surgical outcomes. That’s why we wanted to take a moment to help you understand 3D CBCT imaging so that you can make an informed decision about whether Dental Depot is right for you.
What Is CBCT?
CBCT stands for “cone beam CT scan.” It combines a 3D mouth scanner with state-of-the-art translation software to generate a 3D image of your mouth. CBCT is a little bit like a traditional CT scan in that regard, but it protects your health by minimizing the amount of radiation you’re exposed to by 70%. Since too much radiation exposure can have side effects our goal is to reduce yours to levels that are “as low as reasonably achievable” without sacrificing the benefits of generating these highly precise images of your jaw bone and mouth structure.
Like having an X-ray, having a cone beam CT scan is completely painless. You simply sit down and the cone beam takes the scan.
What can 3D scans show dentists that 2D images can’t?
The CBCT scan provides us with a wealth of information that helps us do a better job of offering top-notch dental implants. Primarily, it tells us a great deal about the state of your bone at the site of the implant, including:
- Precise bone dimension measurements.
- Insight into the quality of the bone.
- The existence of any abnormalities which might impact the dental implant procedure.
- The placement of blood vessels and nerves.
- The exact shape of the site where the implant will be placed.
This vital information takes the guesswork out of placing dental implants, which means the osseointegration process is far more likely to be successful. This scan also tells us if the patient needs other procedures before we proceed, such as bone grafts or healing caps that must be used when the bone is either too soft or too degraded to take the implant with ease.
What Can Happen if Dentists Rely on a 2D Image?
Using 2D images increases the likelihood of complications, placement problems, and other cosmetic issues. Often, the implant will be placed by an oral surgeon while the crown will be placed by a dentist. Miscommunications and misunderstandings can arise when these professionals are conferring over an incomplete image, especially if they happen to be located in different offices.
Miscommunications can lead to unsightly gaps between the crown and the gum line. A lack of information can also lead the oral surgeon to damage delicate anatomical structures simply because he must rely, at least in part, on guesswork.
At Dental Depot’s Family Dentistry and Implant Center, our integrated team includes a general dentist, oral surgeon, and prosthodontist (implant specialist who places the crown), working side-by-side in the same office to provide you with the most comprehensive and cohesive care team available.
What are the Benefits of CBCT Technology?
There are four major benefits to choosing an oral surgeon who is equipped to offer CBCT scans.
First, your dental implant procedure will be less invasive because your surgeon will have a complete picture of your mouth, which means it is far easier to place the implant. This means you get to enjoy a more rapid recovery. There’s less downtime and less pain to contend with.
There is also less risk. Any implant procedure places a dentist in the position of having to drill near blood vessels, nerves, and sinuses. Our task is to make sure we avoid these structures whenever possible. CBCT technology gives us the information we need to do just that.
You also spend less time under anesthesia. We can move a little faster because we know exactly where we’re going in your mouth.
You also get results that last longer and appear more natural. With CBCT technology, the implants can be placed in a way that makes them the next best thing to keeping your very own teeth.
These benefits are the reasons why CBCT technology is considered to be the new standard of care for dental implants. The “free hand” method just won’t cut it anymore.
Custom Made for Comfort and Quality
When a patient decides to receive dentures as their teeth replacement option, the process to fabricate them is very detailed and intricate so that his or her new teeth are customized to look and feel natural. Since everyone’s oral anatomy is unique, customization of prosthetic teeth is essential for increasing oral function and restoring smiles. From the size of one’s mouth to the shape and thickness of their jaws, dentures must be tailor made.
The process for creating dentures begins with taking pictures, X-rays and impressions (molds) of jaws and any existing teeth. Once this is complete, our dentists will determine the unique measurements of the denture(s). These specifications will then be sent to a dental laboratory where the full or partial denture will be created by skilled technicians.
In the interim, while patients are waiting for their new teeth, they may be given temporary prosthetics to wear. Once the dentures are ready, they will be sent to our office and patients will return for a final fitting, and if there are any issues with the way dentures fit, adjustments will be made.
In addition to being custom made, dentures are crafted from very high quality materials to help lend a natural appearance and improvement to one’s smile. Porcelain is used to mimic lost tooth structure while pink-colored acrylic is used to resemble gum tissue. The pink colored portion of dentures is important for creating a seamless transition from natural gum structure to prosthetics.
