Tooth in an Hour-The Myth
By now we have all of us in Provo and Orem have seen the television ads for “Teeth in an Hour”. I see them everyday while I am at Gold’s Gym peddling my stationary bicycle. As a Periodontist, I have patients asking about this concept. While I love their advertising (It helps me too), I think the ad is a little deceiving and the “small print” needs to be a little bigger so the facts about this technique are out in the open.
The concept of “teeth in a hour” is not new, it just has not be marketed to the public like it is being done today. The process involves several diagnostic and planning appointments prior to the day of surgery. On the day of surgery, the dental implant(s) and pre-made teeth are attached to the implants. The risk of this technique is this: The implants must not move or have too much force placed upon them in order for the bone to accept them. If the force exceeds the tolerances of the bone, the implant case fails, if not the case succeeds.
While every dental implant case has it’s own inherit risks and factors that are individualized to the patient, all implant cases and those placing the implants must respect and understand the principles of force. The Laws of Nature, for instance Gravity, cannot be overlooked simply because we want them to go away.
Sometime the risks associated with putting teeth on freshly placed implants are not worth the risk of failure. The conventional method of placing implants, although not as “exciting” certainly has some advantages.