We live in a society where we pack our days full of tasks to complete and where everything is faster and more accessible. Our phones are not just for talking anymore, but for web browsing, emailing and listening to music. And lunch hours are no longer a time of leisure. Instead they are packed with errands to banks and grocery stores, or spent trying to squeeze in a quick doctor’s appointment before heading back to the office.
All of this rushing can make important things like scheduling a cleaning at the dentist seem drawn out and tedious. It no longer fits into the pace of our lives. But following in the likes of the lunchtime workout or lunchtime Botox injections, dentists now have the technology to fix your teeth in an hour too.
Cosmetic dentist D. Gordon Rye, D.D.S., of Rye Smiles for Life in Fairfax, Virginia explains that advances in the technology that dentists now use, and the techniques they practice, have sped up the time of both teeth cleanings, and more extensive procedures.
What has changed?
Due in part to advances in CT (computerized tomography) scanning and virtual surgical planning, dentists can now reduce healing and waiting time of getting an implant to a replace a missing or decayed tooth, while also minimizing bruising and swelling. Before, you would go to your dentist to have your tooth extracted and then you would have to wait for the site to heal. After a few weeks, you would return to your dentist for another appointment where your implant would be placed. Then, you would wait to make sure that your implant had been successful before you could return to have the final restorative porcelain placed on the tooth. In the end, the whole procedure would have taken nearly a year to complete, says Dr. Rye.
Now, however, the time has been cut dramatically. When you first arrive the dentist, will get a 3-D image of your jaw which will then be used to create a replica of your mouth. This allows your doctor to plan precisely where the tooth will go, and if any tissue needs to be cut away. After selecting the right size implant and making a small incision in the soft tissue of the mouth, the new tooth can be formed. The whole process takes only minutes and there is less pain and shorter recovery time as well.
Dr. Rye says he has spent a lot of time mastering this new technique, and that as of now, only a handful of dentists in the country can perform the shortened treatment. So much of his time has been devoted to the process, he says, because people should be able to spend less time at the dentist, and more time doing the things that make them smile.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
