UAB Synopsis, Vol. 28, No. 12, March 30, 2009

New technology at UAB’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic on Highway 150 in Hoover now allows implant reconstruction with the latest three-dimensional computer imagery and guided surgery techniques.

The procedure can deliver permanent, fully functional teeth to a patient in as little as 1 hour, says clinic Medical Director Joseph R. Deatherage, DMD, MD.

“We use data from CT scans to create the three-dimensional computer models of patients’ alveolar bone, soft tissue, and other oral structures. That allows us to plan the entire restoration, identifying the best placement for the implants,” he says.

Based on the computerized model, prosthetic teeth are created along with a template identical to the patients’ jaw, providing Dr. Deatherage and his colleague, R. David Roden Jr, DMD, MD, with a surgical guide to assist in precise placement of the implants.

The patient returns for a single, 1-hour surgery under local anesthetic, during which the prosthetic teeth are placed.

“The computer models allow us to optimize aesthetics and function,” he says. “The surgical guide controls the placement so precisely that only a small incision in the gingival tissue is required, resulting in less morbidity and a significant reduction in healing time.”

Nobel Biocare, creators of the first dental implants more than 40 years ago, developed the procedure. It also is available at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic at The Kirklin Clinic^®.

For more information, contact Dr. Deatherage at jddmdmd@uab.edu. For appointments, call at 205.987.1173.