Dental Implant Teeth in a Day

By Richard L. Seberg, DDS

Published on July 26, 2011

Dental implants have become increasingly every day procedures in recent years. Although hundreds of thousands of dental implants are placed annually in the United States alone, the public as a whole still does not have a good working knowledge of them. 

Due to improvements in technology and surgical techniques, the original protocol of placing a new titanium “root” into the jaw bone and waiting four to six months to attach the tooth to the new root may be a thing of the past. Today, dentists can place the root and the tooth in the same day. They can be placed in one day due to several advances in the field, including:

• New surface coating of implants that promote rapid bone growth
• New X-ray CT techniques, which enable more accurate placement and less surgical trauma
• More precise surgical techniques that reduce trauma
• Experience

Orange County implant dentist Richard Seberg started performing these procedures in 1998. He reported his findings to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry in 2000; he found that out of his first 131 implants and teeth placed with this new technique, 130 were successful.  Dr. Richard Seberg was able to achieve a 99 percent success rate, far better than the normal 94 to 96 percent success rate.  He has continued to expand this technique to include a full mouth of teeth in one appointment, rather than just one or two teeth at a time. Our patients can come into the office, be sedated using appropriate IV techniques, and wake up from a restful appointment with a new set of teeth anchored to their jaws.

Preparation for the implant and teeth placement appointment is the key to the success.  Careful planning of the teeth's final appearance and measurements of the mouth and bone are critical. The usual diagnostic aids that are used include:

• Sophisticated CT X-rays that provide precise measurements and surgical guides
• Pre-operative models of the mouth and color photos for esthetic planning
• When appropriate, pre-construction of the actual teeth and a trial fitting to permit patient evaluation of the expected esthetic results

Patients may need to attend several pre-planning appointments; these appointments assist us in producing a successful outcome and a happy patient.

The dental implants Teeth in a Day procedure may not be appropriate for all patient cases, but it is not uncommon for 70 percent of interested patients to qualify for the Teeth in a Day technique. Most patients find that they are able to return to normal functions immediately. However, the consumption of soft foods is recommended for a few days after surgery.