Teeth in an Hour on national US TV

Nobel Biocare has taken the implant live surgery concept it developed for educating the dental profession a step further. On December 14, US TV network ABC featured a complete "Teeth in an Hour" procedure live on its Good Morning America program that airs nationally.

With Christmas approaching, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth was an appropriate theme for the program that saw regular live crosses to Prosthodontics Intermedica's Dr Thomas Balshi who conducted the surgery. Much on air discussion between the show's presenters also ensued.

At the conclusion of the procedure, the patient sat up and demonstrated he could use his new teeth by biting into a bread roll. The following day, the patient came back on air to show off his new teeth.

The concept of live surgery was delivered en masse to the profession at Nobel Biocare's World Congress in Las Vegas in June last year when several live via satellite procedures were completed involving clinicians in Australia, the USA, Philadelphia, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy and Belgium.

The process was then repeated on a smaller scale at the Australasian Osseointegration Socitety's Conference in Canberra to great effect.