Same Day Teeth, What You Need to Know
By: David D. McFadden, DMD, FACP – McFadden Dental Implant Center
Over the past year there has been a buzz in the dental implant world. Offices have begun advertising a protocol whereby dental implants can have teeth placed on them immediately after the implants are placed, the very same day. This concept has actually been performed for several years; however, what patients are not often told is that it should be performed under specific circumstances.
“Same Day Teeth” concept requires some defining. Same Day Teeth or Teeth in a Day are marketing terms designating that teeth are placed, in a fixed manner, over the implant on the day of implant surgery. Fixed means the teeth cannot be detached by the patient. This procedure provides a seamless transition from a debilitated dentition to one of comfort and light function. It is a procedure that was not available in the past.
Technically, same day teeth is a challenging procedure. First, there needs to be ample time for pre-operative lab work. Logistically, this means the dental surgeon who performs the implant and the general dentist who places the teeth over the implant need to be in the same office. If a general dentist is doing the both procedures, he/she should be skilled in the surgical aspect of the implant segment.
When the implant involves one tooth, bone in the area surrounding the implant must to be strong and healthy for the same day procedure to be successful. When working with one or more teeth, there are also limitations.
When four or more implants on the same arch are involved, there is usually enough strength to support immediate teeth. In some cases, the patient may have existing natural teeth that will be extracted the day of surgery. On that day, the implants are placed and the fixed temporary teeth fabricated. This is truly cutting edge implant dentistry. Imagine, walking into the dental office in the morning with bad teeth and a few hours later walking out with fixed implant teeth. Implant dentistry has come a long way.
If you are not a candidate for same day teeth, don’t despair. Healing time for dental implants can be as short as six weeks. Everyone leaves the office with teeth. Temporary teeth come in a variety of sizes and shades, and most offices understand patients cannot leave without teeth.
Beware of advertising claims that state all patients are eligible or that any particular office has a lot of experience in this area. Of course not all patients are eligible. Every patient has different needs and budgets. However, all patients should obtain several opinions and should have all options explained to them. It is rare that any particular patient would have only one option. Most dental implant patients will have several different options at several different price points.
Only a few dental offices in any city perform same day teeth on dental implants. Typically, a prosthodontist is involved in the process. A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who restores missing and damaged teeth. They have three additional years of dental training after dental school to obtain a certificate in prosthodontics.
Patients are encouraged to check credentials for all healthcare providers. Most credentials can be found on websites and verified through the American College of Prosthodontists at www.prosthodontics.org or American Dental Association at www.ada.org, go to Public section, then Tips on choosing a dentist, then Dental Specialists.
Dr David McFadden, a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry, earned his certificate in Prosthodontics from Baylor College of Dentistry and was awarded Board Certification from the American Board of Prosthodontics. He was the Founder and Director of the UT Southwesten Dental Implant Center. He is now in private practice in Dallas.