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Now, get set for a tooth in an hour
Titanium Implant
By Malathy Iyer / TNN
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Mumbai : Andheri resident L. M. Nair dreaded
visiting dentists. She always winced recalling the pain associated
with tooth extractions and fretted about walking around for
days with teeth missing. Then technology caught up with her
in a Juhu dental clinic-the four problem teeth were extracted
and pearly white implants embedded in place, all in a span
of a few hours.
"I walked out of the clinic the way I had walked in, with all my teeth in place," she recalls of the hot October 2005 afternoon. Nair had just another session with her dentist, to replace the temporary set with a near-permanent one last week.
But in the fast-paced world of dentistry, even this is old
news. The latest offering is a near-permanent tooth in an
hour. No temporary sets, no stitches that take months to heal,
and almost no pain. A handful of Mumbaikars-mostly, the upper
crust who can afford to pay huge bills with a smile-have already
tried out the 'tooth in an hour' option.
It's a technique with a two-week preparation period-albeit a completely painless one. Just get a CT scan of your jaw (that is, after your teeth have been extracted or broken) and wait for two weeks as your dentist uploads the CT image to a special programme and orders made-for-you implants from Sweden. Implants are titanium fixtures that serve as replacement tooth.
"The beauty of the 'tooth in an hour' procedure is that I have implants and the bridgework ready before I have looked into a patient's mouth," explains Dr R. Narvekar, who has a clinic on Warden Road. So the patient walks into the dentist's chamber, and walks out with near-permanent implants. "There are no stitches or cutting of gums involved as the computer programmes highlights where the dentist can fix the screws."
The technique, introduced in Las Vegas in December 2005, is
best suited for patients who need complete replacements. The
comparatively older 'tooth in a day' is suitable for one or
more tooth replacements. Furthermore, these immediately functional
teeth need to be replaced with permanent bridge six months
down the line. "But 'tooth in an hour' is a one-sitting operation,"
says Dr Suchetan Pradhan who has a clinic in Juhu.
A formal Indian launch for the technology is now scheduled
on April 23. The only downside, if one may call it that, is
the price. "Implants which are used in these techniques are
expensive as they are imported. They cost a lot more in comparison
to the conventional replacements," admits Dr Pradhan. A single-tooth
implant can cost between Rs 30-40,000 while a denture implant
can cost between Rs 2 and 3 lakh.
But dentists believe they are cost-effective. "They last a lifetime and are hence cost-effective. Secondly, they add to a client's self-confidence," says Dr Pradhan.
Dr S. G. Damle, the dean of Nair Dental College who is also
the joint municipal commissioner incharge of medical education
& health, points out that while dental implants cost $ 30,000
in the US, they cost a fraction in India. Dr Pradhan points
out that the price of implants have remained steady in India
for over seven years. "So, in the back drop of inflation,
they are in a sense cheaper now than a few years back." And
given the growing purchasing power of Indians, Dr Narvekar
believes implants are the way to go. "Implants have been around
for decades, but in the last few years, 70% of my practice
is dedicated to implants," he points out.
Dr Damle believes implants have revolutionised dentistry:
"People are no longer happy with removable dentures. They
want something that looks as good as the original." Modern-day
techniques, he believes, are a fitting reply to those who
thought that dentistry is about painful extractions and mere
fillings.
But the loudest laugh comes from 49-year-old Nair, who has already decided that if she needs dentures they are going to be in the form of implants. "I can't imagine doing what my mom did every night-place her dentures in a box."
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