Dental implants are now considered the gold standard to replace a single missing tooth. Prior to implants, the options were limited to either a bridge or a denture.

A bridge is an excellent solution as you don't have to take it in and out - it's glued into your mouth.

There are however some draw backs. The fake tooth is attached to your real teeth either side, which means you can't floss between your teeth and food can get caught under your bridge and irritate you.

Also, we have to cut into your good teeth to allow the attachment. Sometimes this is appropriate if those teeth either side already have big fillings and could be protected by the bridge. Even if that is the case, you're still combining the fete of all three teeth (the two holding your bridge up and the missing/fake one in the middle) together. That means if something happens to one tooth the entire bridge is compromised.

The fantastic thing about implants is that the implant is it's own entity - it's not attached to any other teeth!

Sure you can! Although it depends on how many teeth are missing, where, and more importantly how much bone you have.

An implant supported bridge (two implants with two or more crowns on them) or a cantilever implant bridge (one implant with two crowns on it) may be offered as a suitable option for several missing teeth.

If you have full dentures, implants may be used to provide support to those dentures. The dentures can clip into the implants so they're held steady and don't move around while you're eating or talking. You still take out your dentures to clean them and clean your implants. The great benefit of implant-retained dentures is that maintenance to the dentures is quick and straight-forward.

Bone grows fairly slowly. We have to wait for the bone to grow onto the implant (osseointegrate) to ensure your bone attaches to your implant completely. Usually that takes at least 2 months. If your tooth that is going to be replaced with an implant is still in your mouth, we have to wait for the bone to fill in the gap once your tooth is extracted before we put the implant screw in.

Usually we would wait around 3 months after your tooth has been removed before we put your implant in. That means it can take 5-6 months if you still need your natural tooth extracted.

If the tooth that you'd like to replace with an implant is visible when you smile, you can have a temporary denture (plate) throughout the implant process. Once your tooth is extracted, the plate can go in immediately.

After 3 months of bone healing your implant will go in, then you continue to wear your denture for the next 2 months or so while the implant osseointegrates to your bone. Your crown then goes on your implant and you're good to go!

The screw, and any bone grafting is put into your jaw under local anaesthetic at the dental practice. Once the screw is in position, a healing cap is placed on top. The healing cap sits above the gum. If you have a temporary plate, it will cover your healing cap. You brush the cap as you would brush your own teeth.

After the two months of osseointegration the implant is checked. If it's healed well, that little cap comes off and a mould is taken of your implant in your jaw.

The healing cap goes back on and then you come back in 2 weeks to have your crown/bridge put onto the implant.

If you're curious and want to know more, give us a call and book a consultation. Here are a few more points to be aware of before you commit to an implant;

Smokers
Smoking has many detrimental effects on the body. It can affect healing in the jaw and the chances of your implant failing is higher if you are a smoker.

Gum disease
If you suffer from gum disease the risk of your implant failing is higher. The same way you can get bone loss, bleeding, abscessed and loose teeth, these things can happen to your implant too. Ensuring meticulous teeth cleaning and very regular dental checks and cleans will ensure the best outcome for your implant.

Existing medical conditions
Please let us know if you suffer from any medical conditions or have had previous surgery or radiotherapy to your head or neck, as this may determine whether implants are a suitable options for you.

Healthy bone

• Quantity: Just like a hardware screw going into wood you need to have enough support for your screw, you don't want your screw coming out the side of the wood if it's too thin because then the wood will splinter and break. The same is with your implant and bone. If you don't have enough bone then you may require grafting. If you cannot have a graft you may need to consider another option.
• Quality: Imagine if you tried to put a screw into spongy or soft wood. It would not be very strong and would probably fall out when you tried to put pressure on it, right? The same is with the implant. Your bone has to be of good quality and good health before you can expect a good result from an implant. There are certain factors that can contribute to poor bone and poor outcomes with implants. Gum disease (periodontitis) and smoking are two major factors that can ruin your implant. If you have gum disease it's imperative to get it under control before you have an implant. Likewise if you have a medical condition that affects your bone, or you're receiving treatment for a medical condition please let us know!