Patients National Geographic

EveryBody Has
the Right to Smile

“The New Boundaries of Dentisry”

Pushing the boundaries of dentistry

Today, X-rays, digital devices and computers are at the front lines of oral health, yet we still strive for new and better ways to keep smiles on our patients’ faces.
National Geographic has aired an incredible documentary about the future of dentistry

36 year old mother Joyce Sadiki, lives in a rural village with her husband and six children. Their closest dental clinic is a 20km (12.42 miles) walk. Just under a year ago, a bad infection took hold between her two front teeth, and what could've been a simple treatment if caught early, soon resulted in her losing several teeth.

Cases like her are particularly common in the developing world where access to dentistry is limited, such as Uganda, a nation of 44 million with only about 300 dentists. Technical advances, however, are improving global access to essential treatments such as replacing lost teeth. MegaGen Implant, pioneers in dental technology, is partnering in this effort by developing treatments that are simpler, smarter, faster, and cheaper. These treatments are designed to bring the maximum benefit to the greatest number of people in the places that need it most.

See how she got her smile back!

In areas with more advanced treatment facilities, additional high-tech oral health options are available. For example, a sophisticated scanning device called a CBCT allows dentists to see deep inside the teeth and bone, providing an exceptionally accurate 3D image. When fused with an Intraoral Scanner, dentists have a perfect virtual-view of the mouth, allowing them to drill the guide holes for implants with microscopic precision. Similarly, MegaGen is making even stronger teeth, computer-crafted from discs of super-hard composite using a state-of-the-art milling machine. Remarkably, it can take just four hours to manufacture and place twelve new bionic teeth. New technology has revolutionized the speed and accuracy of dental surgery. Designed using Hugo's scans, it matches the contours of Hugo's gum-line perfectly. With guide holes to direct the drill with microscopic precision. But the teeth themselves are manufactured in minutes, from discs of super-hard composite in a state-of-the-art desktop milling machine.

See how he got his smile back!

The technology behind this treatment is made possible through the ground-breaking work of MegaGen Implant. In its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Daegu, South Korea, MegaGen designs and produces some of the most advanced bionic teeth in the world, as well as the tiny screws used to affix new teeth to the jaw. The teeth are meticulously machine milled from medical grade titanium, producing an incredibly strong and detailed implant. To ensure that the new teeth bond quickly and completely with the bone, MegaGen has developed a unique process. Each screw is sandblasted, producing an intricately etched texture that helps strengthen the connection to the bone for an exceptionally firm hold.

In addition, each tooth is coated with calcium ions, helping boost bone growth and prevent rejection by the body. The MegaGen process improvements have cut treatment time down from six months to a single day. Patients can have an implant procedure in the morning and be chewing an apple by bedtime.

Dentistry has come a long way in a relatively short time. Treatments that seemed impossible, exclusive, or expensive a decade ago are fast becoming routine, bringing new hope to the millions who suffer with painful or disfiguring tooth and gum issues. Already, these advances are making a huge difference in the lives of ordinary people, enabling them to eat what they want, and to speak, smile, and laugh with confidence. These treatments are truly transformational.