Dental Implants

Dental Implants may replace teeth that have been lost due to gum disease, trauma or dental decay. They are made of titanium, which is well tolerated by the body and are usually shaped like the root of your natural tooth. Dental implants can be placed in the jaw bone under local anaesthetic, which means the surgery can be performed at the practice. 

A healing period of 3 months is usually required to allow the bone surrounding the dental implant to fuse with its’ titanium surface. Once the dental implant has integrated or fused with the bone a scan maybe taken so the technician can make a customized crown for the patient.

Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses, including crowns, implant-supported bridges or dentures. There is a success rate of approximately 90% over a ten year period, in healthy patients who are non-smokers.
Many factors play a role in ensuring the successful osseointegration or fusing of your bone to the titanium surface of your dental implant. It’s important that periodontal health is achieved before proceeding with dental implant surgery. The bone quality and quantity available at the implant site is also very important in ensuring the success of each case. Patients who have a history of periodontal disease need to be aware they have an increased risk of developing inflammation and possibly bone loss around their dental implants. This means they need to practice excellent oral hygiene, manage their risk factors for gum disease and attend with the hygienist regularly for cleaning around their dental implants.

It is possible that some patients have underlying medical conditions as yet undiagnosed that can impair healing to some degree which could have an impact on the success of dental implants. Each case is risk assessed for dental implant therapy based on the medical history the patient has disclosed.

In the event that there is insufficient bone for complete coverage of the dental implant at the time of placement bone grafting maybe performed if there is sufficient bone present to achieve implant stability. A healing period of six months is required before the dental implant can be restored. If there is insufficient bone for dental implant placement a separate bone grafting surgery will be required and a 6 to 9 month healing period, before proceeding with dental implant surgery.