Sunday, May 8, 2011

Implant Dentistry Day Three

Using this advanced technology will make your dental surgery more effective and comfortable for you.


As they say, sadly, 'all good things must come to an end' and certainly this conference and my stay in Lugano has come to an end.

Day 3 has been a shorter one, packed with back to back short sessions by clinicians showing the use of 'Ultrasonic Bone Surgery' using the piezoelectric machine in all different aspects of Oral, Periodontal and Maxillofacial surgery. I will not go into all technical details, but I can definitely say that the way we will do bone surgery from now on, will be different than what has been done so far, providing we have available this great machine that has all the advantages mentioned so far.



The piezosurgery system uses ultrasound waves to cut bone without damaging soft tissue. Whereas traditional methods of bone-cutting, such as drills and burs, result in some tissue and bone loss regardless of the dentist’s precision, piezosurgery technology eliminates this risk. This means I am able to perform procedures such as crown lengthening, ridge expansion, periodontal therapy, and implant site preparation with increased accuracy and minimal discomfort.

The fact that its so precise and does not cut soft tissues, the possibilities are endless. I can now shape the bone better, go in between teeth without risking the health of the teeth, the inserts are so fine. The indications and possibilities of use are just greater than I thought! I feel privileged to have this machine at our office and have it at my disposal for treating my patients.

So, in conclusion, it has been a great trip and learning experience, tiring, but energizing and inspiring to come on Monday morning and share all of this with my fellow colleagues at Dentistry on Dundas.

Ciao!!!
 

Implant Dentistry Day Two

A Revolutionary Technique for Minimally Invasive Implant Surgery.

 To all my esteemed colleagues at Dentistry on Dundas and our great patients, I have to say that it has been an excellent and productive day! Not only is the glorious weather helping out, and the beautiful flower beds remind us of what is to come once spring finally arrives, the program today really made my trip all the more worthwhile.




I had the chance of attending a workshop which was hands-on and given by two of the most respected Oral Surgeons in Italy. The workshop allowed me to practice in a pig's jaw (I know, sounds gross but its the way we all learn) the way that our machine inserts work when opening up the holes before placing an implant. Its so precise and smooth that its incredible how little pressure we need to use for the bone to be ready. Its exciting to have this technology available in our office. Also, one of the most important reasons why this machine is so cool to use, is the fact that it doesn't cut soft tissue (such as a nerve or a sinus membrane). So, when the bone is too short either in the upper jaw or lower jaw, we can safely use it to prepare the sinus for an implant placement, or, when we are close to the nerve in the lower jaw, there's no risk of doing any nerve damage (especially if we continue with our very diligent efforts to prepare our patients with the right xrays).

Tomorrow, I look forward as well to a new technique which will allow to use this machine to prepare our patients who will have braces in order to speed up the process of their treatment and save up to 6 months of treatment. An exciting development I really look forward to learning about.

I leave you as well with a beautiful vista of Lugano. To learn more about Dr. Levy Click here
Ciao!!!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Implant Dentistry Day One

Dr. Levy, Periodontist at the Piezoelectric Bone Surgery


International Symposium May 5 to 7, 2011

Having the opportunity to come to Lugano, one of the most beautiful towns in the Italian Swiss alps, only enhances my excitement over the fact that we, at Dentistry on Dundas, are at the cutting edge of surgical technology (among others!). In essence, what dental implants were 30 years ago (first North American conference was in our own Toronto), ultrasonic piezosurgery is today leading the way in greater dental implant surgery.

Ultrasonic Piezosurgery is just another very high tech name for a very cool machine that instead of using drills to open holes in the bone before putting the impant in, it actually uses special diamond coated 'inserts' that go at an extremely fast speed (compare a smart car to a formula one car). So, this speed is so fast, that it causes 'waves' at more than 30.000 per second, wow! So, with lots of water, there is barely any heat on the bone, and its so precise! For those that have narrow bone or very soft bone, its just the ideal new way for having implants done!

As learned today, my first day in this three day conference, we can place implants with far less swelling, much more precision and far greater initial and long-term stability than what can be achieved with our regular implant drills.

I'm excited for our future and also keen to use this in our office for all our implant patients. Stay tuned for day #2!!!

 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Staff & Pets video


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Monday, January 10, 2011

Dr. Lanys interview on Bizymoms website

An interview with Dr. Lanys on Dental Implants.


What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are metal root replacements for missing teeth that are placed into the bone. They take approximately 4 to 6 months to integrate with the bone at which time they are able to support a crown (cap), bridge or denture. Even if there is any bone loss from previous infection, periodontitis, etc., a bone graft can be placed before the implant to replenish some of the lost bone.

What are dental implants made of?
They are made of titanium and coated with a titanium alloy which is compatible with bone.

How long do they last?
Dental implants have a very high success rate of over 95%. A large advantage to this procedure is that if they are placed and subsequently integrated, they usually last indefinitely. There are, however, certain risk factors that may compromise the integration process or the longevity of the implant.

How are dental implants placed?

Implants are typically placed by an oral surgeon, periodontist, prostodontist, or a trained general dentist. This can be done under local anesthetic or sedation depending on the case and usually involves no discomfort during, and minimal discomfort after the procedure.

There are special x-rays or tomographs that are taken prior to placement to ensure all vital structures, such as nerves, are avoided and the implants are placed only within bone.

Before placement or on the day of surgery a temporary denture is inserted to ensure the patient never goes with missing teeth. When the implants are integrated some months later, the prostodontist or general dentist places the dentures, crowns or bridges securely onto the implants.

Risk factors or contraindications of dental implants.
The main risk factors associated with implants are smoking, poor oral hygiene, diabetes (especially if uncontrolled), other compromising diseases, and possibly some medications.

It is important to review your health history thoroughly with your dentist before commencing any dental treatment, including implants.

Will my implants feel like my natural teeth?

One of the main advantages of implants is that they do feel like natural teeth. They function and look like natural teeth, do not decay or require root canals. They maintain the surrounding bone, whereas if there was no tooth or implant, the bone would resorb or recede.

This is one of the only procedures that replace teeth without affecting any existing teeth in the mouth. They are by far the best treatment option to replace missing teeth and are widely used in my practice, resulting in many very happy patients.


Monday, December 20, 2010

Dr. Librach's analogy between skiing and being a dentist.

I’m sitting at my desk on the first cold day in December looking out
on the snow-covered grass of my home in Toronto. Although, as many of
you know, I love the sport of skiing, I am not so in love with the
cold weather that accompanies it. I do however tolerate the low
temperatures when there is a mountain to conquer. There is an
exhilaration caused by the speed in this sport that I have trouble
matching in anything else I do. As I negotiate turns through a
midfield of moguls and arrive at the end of a run that could last as
long as 45 minutes, I can think of nothing else but the perils that
lie just around the next build up of snow. The next turn is all that
matters. It’s all you can think about at that moment or risk the
unthinkable. And when I reach the end of that long grueling trail and
I turn around and see another skier, a dot on the slopes up above, I
realize what I have done and I feel great.
I have a similar passion for dentistry. Concentrating on my patients’
needs and the creation of great smiles means for a time you can think
of nothing else. And when the treatment is complete and the patient
smiles its like looking back on that mountain and knowing you have
accomplished something great.

Mark Librach