Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants?

Implants are one way of replacing individual missing teeth, multiple teeth or all of them.

Unlike other forms of replacement teeth, dental implants are small metal or ceramic devices not unlike a screw fitting which are, under sterile conditions, surgically inserted into the jaw. Teeth, in the form of a crown, bridge, or denture, are then attached to the implant. This can really help with chewing food if the molar teeth are replaced. In the front of the mouth, it looks very natural and maintains lip and gum support. If you have dentures that are loose and unstable these can be supported underneath by dental implants to stop unwanted movement allow efficient chewing and increased confidence. If dentures are not for you then we offer smile and a day or All on 4 solutions to rehabilitate the whole mouth in a streamlined manner.

What will my dentist do?

Your specialist dentist will tell you about the stages of treatment, who would be carrying out each stage and the timetable from completing treatment and the estimated cost involved. If the bone is insufficient a bone graft will be planned.

This is what will happen:

• Bone is exposed in the jaw where the tooth is missing. Then a sterile hole is drilled and the sterile implant is inserted into the bone. This is usually done under Local anaesthetic, but sometimes sedation if requested. The gum is then stitched over the implant and it’s left to heal for several months. This allows bone to grow around the implant and to make it secure.
• A second procedure is then planned, in which replacement teeth are mounted onto the implant.  Once the soft tissues have healed, the replacement teeth may be fixed permanently or attached in a way that lets you remove them for cleaning. The replacement teeth might be single or group.

What are the benefits?

Some people have real difficultly with removable dentures. Implants can overcome these difficulties, in particular for eating and speaking properly and they may improve appearance. If a denture is necessary, implants can greatly improve stability. People will not be able to see that your teeth are supported by implants.