Jennifer Matthews: It's a sound that sends chills up the spine. But going to the dentist just got easier for people like Yolande Donaldson.
Yolande Donaldson: I can't imagine smiling and having that space there."
Jennifer Matthews: Dentist Abraham Ingber says standard dental implants take up to 9 months and two surgeries to complete. Today, he'll do one in less than one hour.
Dr. Abraham Ingber: This is one of the most innovative breakthroughs to come along in dentistry in a long time."
Jennifer Matthews: With a standard implant, dentists cut away gum tissue to see where to place the implant. Now, at an initial visit, dentists get a 3D image of the jaw with this machine -- the ICat. Combined with new software, images like these are produced.
Dr. Abraham Ingber: I can literally almost de-glove the patient, remove all the skin, all the connections of the muscle attachment and just look at the jaw.
Jennifer Matthews: Using those images, doctors create a replica of the patient's mouth.
Dr. Abraham Ingber: We're just going to do a little punch in the soft tissue.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Ingber starts at 3 o'clock. He selects the right-size implant, and in just 12 minutes, it's securely in place. No cutting means less trauma and less pain. Then, the tooth is formed. By 3:40, Yolande has a new smile.
Yolande Donaldson: Great! I mean, no pain...and I have a tooth! I mean, what more would I ask for?
Jennifer Matthews: The new technology is taking the bite out of going to the dentist.
this is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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