Category: Technology

 

Dental implants are the modern answer to missing teeth, capable of restoring form and function to even the most damaged smile. Invented in the mid 1950’s by a Swedish orthopedic surgeon, dental implants rely on a titanium post that fuses to the natural jaw tissue of the implant recipient. The implants are typically installed in a staged procedure, giving the patient ample amounts of time for their jaw tissue to heal and for them to perfect oral hygiene routines. Although many dentists offer dental implants, periodontists receive an additional three years of personalized training to place implants, allowing them to place implants effectively and monitor the healing carefully.

Dental implant technologies have continued to evolve, which is one of the reasons that modern implants have close to a 100% success rate. Here are just a few of the new technologies that have helped patients enjoy better results.

Modern Dental Implant Technologies

• Better ImagingImaging techniques have come a long way over the past twenty years or so, with modern periodontists having access to CAT scans, detailed MRI images, and even 3D scanning. These imaging tools help dentists to plan treatment more carefully, account for minor anatomical differences, and customize treatment accordingly.
• Powerful SoftwareModern 3D imaging software also helps doctors and patients during the treatment planning process, since software can help doctors to show patients how their new implants will look when the treatment is complete. 3D scans can also be sent electronically directly to labs, speeding prosthetic fabrication.
• Microscopically Roughened PostsTo allow the titanium implant posts to fuse with bone tissue, modern versions are microscopically roughened to increase the surface area. These new posts allow the bone to heal faster and bond stronger, improving implant outcomes.

Pinnacle Center Dental Implants and Periodontics: Your Dental Implant Authority

Pinnacle Center Dental Implants and Periodontics has been placing dental implants in Pittsburgh for over 30 years and we are constantly researching all of the best techniques and materials for the complex surgery. If you are wondering whether or not dental implants are right for you, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with us. With years of experience and a complete dedication to our patients, we can help you to enjoy the smile of your dreams.

The dental field is always growing. As technology becomes more accessible and applicable, we are able to find new uses and benefits in many areas of life. Advances in medical technology have had a profound impact on dentistry and the methods we use to analyze, diagnose, and treat our patients. In particular, these advances have enabled more effective and positive outcomes for implant dentistry. Our Pittsburgh periodontists stay up to date on the applications of new dental technology, and choose the best and most advanced procedures to benefit their patients.

In the past, there was much more guesswork in dental implant surgery. Dental impressions and the experience of the dentist ensured that dental implants would usually fit pretty well after some adjustment. But with the advancement of digital imaging and 3-D modeling, we can create an exact replica of your mouth, teeth, gums and tongue. From specific areas (such as where a tooth is missing) to entire mouth shapes, this new technology has improved dentistry drastically, and taken out virtually all the guesswork. Using state of the art equipment, we can obtain images of your mouth that are so accurate that we could navigate even the minutest of details with a few strokes of a keyboard. Because of this, the dental implants our Pittsburgh office provides are some of the best—and most easily placed—in the history of modern dentistry.

With virtual dental implant planning, preparing for the procedure and actually placing the implants is greatly simplified, meaning you spend less time in the chair. Using digital imaging, we can print surgical guides that are actually used in the procedure, ensuring that the implants are placed in the exact spot with the greatest bone strength, and with the highest chances of success. With the guidance of computer imaging, the dental implant process is simpler and more effective than ever.

We are experienced in the use of virtual dental implant planning. Our patients love the simplicity it brings and the accuracy it provides. Make an appointment today and see for yourself how our tech-savvy approach to dentistry can improve your smile.

If you are suffering from gum disease, cleaning of the periodontal pockets—the space between your gums and your tooth roots—is essential to recovery. In a patient with gum disease, the periodontal pockets deepen and provide homes for harmful bacteria which infect the gum tissue and damage the teeth. In some cases, surgery has been the method of choice for treating gum disease; but Pinnacle Center Dental Implants and Periodontics now offers an alternative in the form of perioscopy.

A perioscope is a tiny camera attached to the end of a dental probe. The perioscope can be inserted below the gumline to allow your dentist to see inside your periodontal pockets, assessing and treating your gum disease without the need for surgery. A perioscope offers up to 48 times magnification, providing a clear view of details that might otherwise be missed. Using a perioscope allows us to clean your periodontal pockets thoroughly, giving your gums the chance to heal.

What are the advantages of perioscopy?

–Visibility: The use of a perioscope allows us to examine the inside of your periodontal pockets, an area which is normally invisible without surgery.

–Magnification: The magnifying power of the perioscope allows examination at a level of minute detail that was previously impossible, making flaws, cracks, perforations, and accumulations of bacteria visible.

–Avoid surgery: While other treatments for advanced gum disease often require surgical solutions, perioscopy can in many cases eliminate that need and allow treatment without the pain and inconvenience of surgery.

–Quick and thorough: Treatment using a perioscope can usually be completed in one to two hours, only slightly longer than an ordinary dental checkup.

–Cost effective: Perioscopy generally costs the same or less than surgery to treat the same condition.

–Little pain: Our patients report little or no discomfort even when being treated without anesthesia.

 

The next step in the treatment of gum disease

 

Perioscopy represents the most recent advancement in the treatment of periodontitis. At Pinnacle Center Dental Implants and Periodontics, we are excited to be able to offer you this new procedure. If you believe you may be suffering from gum disease or have other concerns about your teeth, please call our office today to request an appointment.