Dental Implants

Dental implants offer a fixed alternative to replace missing teeth. A dental implant is a titanium screw that is placed into the jaw as part of a surgical procedure. In most cases, an implant can be provided using a simple local anaesthetic dental injection. When placed, the implant is normally left for a period of time to allow the healing process to fuse the implant to the bone. However, in some cases, the implant can be placed and loaded right away.

All implant-based treatments will involve extensive planning to ensure optimum implant positioning. This is essential in order to encourage long-term success and minimise post-operative problems. Planning is also the cornerstone to achieve a good cosmetic outcome.

In some cases, where there is not enough bone to predictably place an implant, a bone-graft may be undertaken. This will be discussed in detail at the initial consultation.

Implants do have advantages over other fixed replacement options such as dental bridgework. They do not involve the preparation of other teeth and act by attempting to replace the root of the missing tooth.

Dental implants can also be used to support and retain ill-fitting dentures. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that improving the fit of dentures with implants can lead to an overall improvement in the quality of life for an individual.