Advancements in implant dentistry to reduce patients’ inconvenience

New Delhi: Anxiety is that sense of dread and general apprehension before and during an appointment. Anxiety puts you on edge, compounds the ordeal and you are left completely drained by it. Even if there is not any pain involved, it is the threat of pain and other triggers of fear that build up the anxiety and make for a miserable experience. Bringing out the benefits to patients undergoing dental procedures and expanding on the latest in dental technology, Dr. Ajay Sharma, Senior Consultant & HOD – Dental Sciences, Max Smart Superspecialty Hospital Saket elaborates on how dental treatments can be painless, affordable and long lasting.

Across the country, thousands of dental patients avoid seeking proper preventive care because of the anxiety that drives them. The consequences of this go far beyond dental pain and can result in teeth loss. The patient can also contract gum infection which is a serious infection that can affect other parts of the body as well. One of the first parts to be affected is the abdomen that comes up due to half chewed food.

Dr Ajay Sharma, Senior Consultant & HOD – Dental, Max Multi Speciality Centre, states that fortunately, many dentists are specially trained in handling fearful patients, and new technological advancements have made treatments much easier to reduce pain and eliminate the fear of the visiting the dentist.

Dental surgery is a difficult, painful process no matter what the procedure, but having a tooth extracted and an implant put in months later can result in major complications. The longer you wait for the implant, the greater the likelihood that formation of scar tissue or shifting of teeth will occur to compensate for the loss of the extracted tooth; this can cause problems when it is time to insert the new implant.

Dr Ajay Sharma says, “Great advancements in dental surgery have been made to assist with bone and tissue regeneration so that when it is time to insert the implant, the extraction site has been stabilized and a graft performed to protect the integrity of the site. Patients no longer have to wait to replace their missing tooth — now the dental implant, post and dental crown can be set in just one visit. With immediate dental implants, you don’t need to live with a gap in your teeth or wear a fake temporary cap while you wait for the dental implant to heal. And with single-visit dental implants becoming more successful, more patients are inquiring about this procedure.”

If you have a missing tooth, you have many choices for tooth replacement, but dental implants are the most stable and efficient of all the dental prosthetic options.

“With the 3D equipment that we use to prepare dental implants, we plan same-day procedures through a virtual mock-up of the patients’ mouth, which eliminates cutting through the gums to find the bone. This means less pain and healing time for the patient, and there is no need for a follow-up visit to complete the treatment. While we plan for your procedure, the prosthetic tooth is prepared in the lab in time for the surgery. This procedure bypasses the osseointregration period, where the implant fuses to the bone. Although the implant still needs to heal, it can do so with the dental crown attached, and you can go on with your life as usual”, adds Dr Ajay Sharma.

Dr Sharma elaborates on some more advantages experienced by patients who have undergone dental implants, “Improved appearance, improved speech, improved comfort, easier eating, improved self-esteem, improved oral health, durability and convenience.”