Dental implants

Missing teeth are caused by a variety of reasons – poor oral health, gum disease, an accident, ageing, a sports injury, and more. Whatever the reason for their absence, the reality is this – you don’t have to settle for a broken-down smile that is missing teeth.

​

Dental implants are one of the most successful ways to complete your smile. Here are some facts to know about this effective dental restoration:

• Quality construction: Dental implants are made of a titanium post that is surgically implanted into the jawbone and a prosthetic tooth is bonded to the post.

• Versatile: An implant can stand alone as a single repair or be used in conjunction with a dental bridge or implant-anchored denture.

• Permanent: Dental implants do not require adhesives and they never come out. They’re in your jaw, permanently.

• Supportive: Teeth adjacent to the missing tooth or teeth are in danger of shifting around in the mouth, threatening alignment and damaging tissues, but implants make nearby teeth stronger.

• Life-altering: If you have missing teeth, you will automatically look older than you are but, over time, sagging skin or a hollow look will develop where the jawbone is unstimulated. Dental implants counteract this side effect of missing teeth.

Once your dentist has determined that you are a good candidate for dental implants, the surgical procedure will take place over several visits. Here is what you can expect:

• Evaluation: A critical part of prep is your dentist’s evaluation of your bone and gum tissue to identify spacing needs and confirm that there is enough bone density to handle an implant. It may be discovered that a bone graft is necessary.

• Surgery: Dental implant restoration is a two-part procedure done under sedation and numbing agents. The surgery involves the placement of the implant into the jawbone. The post that will hold the artificial tooth is often placed on the implant at this time too as well as a temporary tooth.

• Healing: It can take several months for the surgical area to heal completely. Be patient – your mouth must heal properly and the implant must integrate successfully into the jawbone. Your dentist will monitor your progress.

• Fitting: When the implant has successfully bonded with the jaw, the temporary crown will be removed from the post and a permanent artificial tooth will be fitted. This restoration is permanent, looks natural, and restores form and function to your smile.

There are multiple ways to replace missing teeth. Discuss every viable option with your dentist so together you can settle on a solution that gels with your smile goals and your budget and delivers the most effective dental restoration.

​

The cost factors for dental implants will vary based on several factors, including:

• How many implants are placed

• The type of implant

• Where the implants are placed

• If a bone graft is necessary

• Materials used

• How I will be affected by dental implant surgery?

  • Recovery times from dental implant surgery can vary depending upon the individual case, the number of teeth affected, and aftercare. Usually, after 7-10 days a patient can return to their normal diet routine.​

​

• Recovery from simple dental implant surgery

  • In the case of simple dental implant placement, with little or no bone grafting (for example to replace a single missing back tooth, or an immediate implant to replace a failing tooth) there is little or no post-operative discomfort or swelling. Patients will be able to continue life as normal with little inconvenience. A soft diet for a few days and careful brushing of the affected area may be all that is required.​

​

• Recovery from more complex implant surgery

  • If there is a need to carry out any bone grafting or soft tissue grafting at the time of dental implant surgery then the swelling tends to be more pronounced. However, the dentist will advise the appropriate aftercare regime and medication to keep you comfortable.​

​​

• What to expect during the dental implant healing?

  • Typically in most cases after initial surgery to place dental implants, there is some minor swelling, mild discomfort and occasionally bruising that lasts for a few days. However, this is well managed by medication and the post-operative management the dentist will prescribe.​

​

• How long does the pain last after a dental implant?

  • This is fully dependent on the individual patient and how complex the dental implant procedure is. After the first week, you should start to feel little to no pain. You should start to feel normal in the mouth around 1-2 weeks after.​

​

• How long before you can place a dental implant?

  • Wherever possible we try to place the tooth implant immediately at the same time as tooth extraction, with a temporary tooth being fitted at the same time where necessary, and then the final crown or bridgework typically fitted around 3-6 months after implant placement. If an immediate tooth implant is not possible due to severe infection or bone loss, then implant placement is usually delayed between 6 weeks to 6 months so the extraction site can heal adequately. The length of time depends on the individual case. Bone regeneration and rebuilding is also often necessary and is usually done at the same time as implant placement.​​

Like any type of surgery, you will need to rest, recover and allow yourself time out. Avoid anything that puts extra stress on the body. For optimum recovery post-dental implant surgery.​

​

• Post-operative instructions: 

​

The dentist will advice you how to clean your teeth during the healing phase, follow these instructions. 

​

• There may be some swelling and bruising to the face. The dentist will provide some ice pack to help with this.

• Avoid heavy exercise and take it easy for the first few days.

• Avoid smoking as this impairs the healing and can negatively affect the implant and any bone graft.

• Try to refrain from drinking alcohol. Both alcohol and smoking hinder your dental implant recovery time and healing process.

• The dentist will advise and prescribe painkillers and antibiotics as necessary.

​

Your dentist will also be on hand to answer any questions and provide aftercare advice.

​

In addition, regular check-ups with your dentist will be required to ensure that the dental implants take in the best possible way. Any specific advice that affects dental implant recovery time will be provided at this time.

​

Get in touch with us. We can help you to book an appointment.