Missing teeth have long been replaced conventionally with fixed bridges or dentures, However more recently there has been a trend towards replacing missing teeth with dental implants which are a more comfortable and permanent solution. Implants, when placed and restored by an experienced dentist will look and feel like your own natural teeth and be virtually indistinguishable.

Tooth loss can occur for a number of reasons including neglecting your teeth and gums with a poor diet and poor oral hygiene, naturally with age and also due to trauma. Athletes such as rugby player and boxers often loose teeth due to trauma!

The loss of teeth can have a significant impact on a persons self esteem due to the aesthetic implications as well as causing bite problems and difficulties in eating.

General Information About Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are replacements for the root portion of your tooth. Implants consist of a threaded titanium screw or post that is surgically placed into the jaw bone.

When may dental implants be needed?

In cases where too many teeth are missing and there are no supporting teeth for bridges, loose dentures or more solid dental implants are the only choice to replace the missing teeth. A highly skilled implantologist would be required to carry out a full mouth reconstruction using dental implants. Generally implants are used to support either a single crown or bridges.

Dental Implants for dentures

One of the major complaints with dentures are that they are not stable enough to enable normal eating habits and biting into an apple would be unheard of! They can also cause irritation of the gums and soreness from the movement. Dentures can be strongly secured into place with dental implants giving patients the confidence and comfort of being able to eat what they want.

Dental implants preserve your natural teeth

A major advantage of dental implants is that they do not require preparation or drilling of neighbouring healthy teeth unlike bridges, and they do not require special brushes and extra care for oral hygiene. When teeth are lost bone loss of the jaw occurs after some time and dental implants slow this process down and prevent excessive loss of your bone structure.

The Procedure

Prior to the placement of dental implants your bone density needs to be assessed to ensure that you have sufficient quality and quantity of bone tissue available around where the implant will be placed. If there is insufficient bone or significant bone loss has occurred due to periodontal disease then you may need bone grafting before implant placement. In certain cases mini implants can be used if bone density is too low for larger implants.

Once you have been assessed and the plan of treatment explained and agreed, the appropriate implant system and size of implant will be selected and then surgically placed. Since the implant functions as the root of your tooth, a hole needs to be drilled into your jaw bone to accommodate it. Placing an implant is often carried out under local anaesthesia but anxious patients may choose to be sedated during their treatment.

A small hole is drilled carefully into your jawbone ensuring to avoid damage to nerves and other important facial structures. Once the hole has been drilled the implants the titanium implant screw it either gently screwed or tapped into place ensuring a tight fit. Once the implant is securely placed into the hole a protective screw cover or cap is placed over the implant and the gum tissue sutured over the top. The implant is then left to heal for approximately 6 months, this process is called osseointegration. During this time the bone tissue around the implant grows onto the microscopic roughened surface of the implant so that it effectively becomes a part of the jawbone and can securely hold a restoration in place. After healing the screw cover is removed and an abutment placed on the implant, which serves as an anchorage point to securely hold a restoration in place such as a crown or denture. We offer same day implants, which support the restoration during the integration process.