Dental Implants
Dental implants are now a popular treatment to replace missing teeth as they provide a longer-term solution
People lose teeth all the time, either through damage when teeth are knocked out (rugby players and boxers commonly experience this) or due to decay, gum disease or old age. Whatever the reason is for losing your teeth we can replace for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Dental implants are now a popular treatment to replace missing teeth as they provide a longer-term solution, slowing down bone loss and preserving healthy tooth tissue.
A dental implant is an artificial substitute for the root portion of your natural tooth and they are anchored into a pre-drilled socket in your jawbone to support a crown or secure a denture firmly in place. Dental Implants are made from titanium, a material that is bio-compatible and integrates easily with your bone tissue.
The Dental Implants Procedure
Before your Dental Implants can be placed it is important for our dentists to assess the health of your teeth and gums, if there are any signs of gum disease, this must always be treated first. Your dental implant treatment will be planned to assess your bone quality. The procedure is usually carried out under local anaesthesia or sedation can be requested for nervous patients.
The gum where the dental implant is to be placed is cut and lifted and a small hole is drilled in the jawbone at the precise location of the intended dental implants. The titanium Implant is tightly fitted into this socket and the gum is stitched back over the implant. Once the implant has been placed it is left to heal and integrate with the jawbone for between 6 weeks to 6 months. The bone tissue will anchor itself into the rough surface of the implant.
During this healing period you will be given temporary teeth, or you can continue to wear dentures. It is important that any temporary teeth do not exert any forces on the healing implant. After the healing period the gum is lifted again and a post is attached to the implant with a temporary crown. Four to six weeks later when the surrounding gum tissue has matured your final permanent restoration can be fitted to the implant.