In the News - Television

Dental Implants in One Hour!

Dental Implants In One Hour
Posted: 3/3/2006 5:15:00 PM
Updated: 3/3/2006 3:19:05 PM

Aired: Friday, March 3, 2006 on NewsChannel5 at 5:00.

Breakthrough technology has dentists turning a nine-month ordeal into one that takes less than an hour.

The first modern dental implants hit the scene in the 1950's. Though they're a better option for many denture-wearers, about 22 million Americans still have dentures, or no teeth at all. Getting a dental implant is usually a long, arduous process.

With a standard implant, dentists cut away gum tissue to see where to place the implant. Now, at an initial visit, dentists get a 3-D image of the jaw with a machine called the I-cat combined with new software, images like these are produced.

Using those images, doctors create a replica of the patient's mouth.

After the doctor selects the right-size implant, in just 12 minutes, it's securely in place. no cutting means less trauma and less pain. Then, the tooth is formed.

The new implant process costs about the same as standard dental implants. The technology is not in widespread use across the country yet.

For more information, please contact:
Drs. Ingber, Prestipino and Kristallis The Washington Center for Image Dentistry
7830 Old Georgetown Rd.
Suite 260
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-2300
http://www.imagedentistry.com