Advancements in technology have benefited patients in all areas of health care. Dental care has been no exception. Now, the latest advancement in that care is available in Lehighton.

Dental implants have been around since the 1980s, but only recently have their popularity grown to a point that they are becoming commonplace.

A dental implant consists of two parts — the anchor and the crown. The anchor, which closely resembles a screw or a bolt, replaces the root of the missing or compromised tooth and is inserted into the jaw bone. With the top of the anchor sitting just above the gumline, the crown is then snapped onto the anchor.

There are several advantages to having implants rather than dentures, according to Dr. Robert Laski. “Dentures are like crutches,” he said. “They aren’t a permanent solution.”

Dentures provide a person with just 30 to 40 percent chewing efficiency, Laski said.

They also affect the taste of food since they cover the roof of the mouth. Implants, or permanent bridges, restore nearly 100 percent chewing efficiency to patients. That’s important to a patient’s health.

Perhaps more importantly, relying on dentures will cause melting away of the jawbone, not only from the wear of the denture sliding and rubbing across the gum and jaw, but from a lack of purpose for the jawbone.

The fact that the anchor fuses to the bone, “it gives the jaw bone something to do,” said Laski, preventing rescription, or melting away of the jaw.

While most patients are candidates for implants, not all are. Dental professionals must make that determination based on examination. In the past, dentists had to rely solely on two-dimensional X-rays and a visual inspection to assess a person’s bone’s thickness and whether or not it would support an implant.

With 3-D imaging, the guesswork is eliminated. Gauging the proper length for the anchor is critical. “There is a nerve that runs inside a tunnel along the bottom of the jaw. If the anchor touches that, the patient would lose all feeling in their chin and lips,” Laski said.

In its Lehighton office, Valley Oral Surgery has added 3-D scanning equipment that provides critical and detailed information on a patient’s jaw. The more detailed image greatly assists dental professionals in gauging not only the correct size for the implant but whether or not the patient is even a good candidate for the procedure.

“In the past, we’ve had to tell patients in the Lehighton area to drive to our Allentown facility to get the 3-D imaging done. Now, we can do it for them right here.”

While most implant procedures are for one or two teeth, it is possible to replace a full set of teeth with implants. To replace a full set of teeth, Laski says four to six anchors would have to be placed into the bone and a full bridge would then be snapped onto it.

The cost of a single implant is about $2,000, Laski said. The price of an entire set would run between $25,000 to $30,000 per jaw.

Implants are not recommended for anyone under the age of 18, although there are rare exceptions, Laski said. There is no upper age limit for the implant procedure. Laski said he has performed the procedure on a man in his 90s.