Teeth in a Day: what can I expect?

Teeth in a Day is where we plan to place teeth on to the dental implants all in the same setting. Dental implants are used to replace failing or missing teeth whether that's a single tooth or multiple teeth. Here, one of our expert dental implantologists Dr Amit Mohindra explains what you can expect from the full process and the results.

How many stages are required for Teeth in a Day?

Traditionally, dental implant treatment is done in multiple stages. Firstly, you would have the tooth removed and allow the site to heal for two to four months. After which we would place the implant and you would then need to wait another few months for the bone to grow onto the implant before we can connect the artificial teeth in the form of a crown or a bridge.

With Teeth in a Day, we look to combine those appointments or stages so that we do more in each setting. This means less surgical visits for our patients, quicker recovery time and that it’s quicker to get to the end result. It also means you don't need any temporary denture or bridge during the healing phase and it often results in better cosmetic outcomes.
 

What is the full process like?

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 for surgery. Everything is planned out to precision, which can often result in shorter surgery time. At all points during the procedure, the patient is in control and we like to ensure that they are very comfortable.

Following the surgery, we book a review appointment for two weeks later to check the healing and to make sure everything is being taken care of the way that it should be. 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.
 

Who is an ideal candidate?

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. For same-day implants in particular, however, we also require the area to be free of infection and any swelling. We also ask our patients not to smoke for at least three months before any implant placement, to three months after the implant’s placement, or ideally to stop smoking altogether.
 

What type of technology/digital imagery is used during the process?

At The White Bridge Clinic, we have invested heavily in the technology we use to ensure our patients get the best treatment and outcome. We can take 3D X-rays, which allows us to see the bone in different volumes in width and height so we that can very accurately plan where the implants are going to go. We take impressions digitally as well and can combine the 3D X-ray with a scan of your mouth on computer software to allow us to very carefully planned procedure from start to finish.

We now also have a navigation system that allows us to see in ‘real-time’ video where we are placing the implants during the procedure and is very similar to keyhole surgery. This makes the procedure far less invasive and gives a quicker surgery and recovery time to our patients.
 

How do you ensure you fulfil the expectations of your patient?

Well, the most important thing we offer our patients is time. Time to listen and understand what it is they are looking for exactly. 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 that they understand what we are going to achieve by the end of it. During surgery, we book longer appointments so 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 it certainly can be. As long as the communication is there between the dentist and patients, there is no reason for this not to happen. For patients who are more anxious or for more complex procedures, we do offer dental sedation, which enables the patient to not remember anything afterwards and be in a far more relaxed state.

If you would like to discuss your dental implant options, do not hesitate to book an appointment to see Dr Mohindra at his clinic, now!