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 6 weeks to 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, impressions may be 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.

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