When deciding to have an implant placed, there are many stages of planning to go through before we do any surgical procedures.
When we first discuss the options of having an implant placed, Paul will always go through all the different options for replacing a missing tooth. If you and he decide an implant is the best option for you, the first thing we do is a 3D cone beam x-ray scan to determine whether there is sufficient bone in the area for an implant to be placed. We also take digital impressions of your teeth with our iTero intra oral scanner at the initial appointment.
Once we have this information, Paul will spend time reporting the CBCT scan and looking over your digital impressions in order to create a treatment plan. For more complex cases he will write a letter explaining his thoughts and findings so that each patient has time to read over this at home, process the information and consider any questions that may arise.
We then book patients in for a review appointment with Paul. At this appointment, we will have your 3D x-ray scan up on the screen so that Paul can show you and explain what he can see from it. We then chat through all your questions, explain the treatment, give pre and post-operative advice and costings. We will also give you multiple information handouts for you to take home.
When a patient has decided to go ahead and have an implant placed there is another stage of planning that we must go through. Paul will align the CBCT x-ray model with the digital impressions using co-DiagnostiX implant planning software. He then can digitally plan just where he wants to place the implant, taking into account your anatomy and the most ideal placement for a successful, aesthetic and long-lasting prosthetic tooth.
Very often we will use a guided stent which is designed by Paul during the planning. This stent is 3D printed and allows us to place implants in locations where we may not have been able to in the past. This is known as guided implant placement
