Lose of a tooth can have a dramatic impact on the look of your smile and may affect your confidence and even the way you speak and chew.
Dental implants delivered by Dr John's Dental Centre can provide a long-lasting solution for missing teeth or loose and uncomfortable dentures. Implants are widely recognised as dentistry's closest replacement for natural teeth. They are the state-of-the-art treatment in modern dentistry and are often the perfect option for rebuilding your smile.
AppearanceA dental implant is essentially a substitute for a natural root and commonly it is screw or cylinder shaped. Each implant is placed into a socket carefully drilled at the precise location of the intended tooth. Often the implant can be placed at the same time as removal of the tooth all in one day.
If an implant has a screw-thread on its outer surface it can be screwed into position and if it does not, it is usually tapped into place. The main aim during installation of any implant is to achieve immediate close contact with the surrounding bone. This creates an initial stability, which over time is steadily enhanced by further growth of bone into microscopic roughness on the implant surface.
In order to support replacement teeth, dental implants normally have some form of internal screw thread or post space that allows a variety of components to be fitted. Once fitted, these components provide the foundation for long-term support of crowns, bridges or dentures.
You should discuss with your dentist whether implants would be right for you.Patients need to have healthy gums, enough jawbones to take the posts and support the replacement teeth. They must also be prepared to maintain good mouth hygiene and visit the dentist regularly. Implants patients need to be in good general health, because of the surgery needed. Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, osteoporosis or chronic sinus problems, could interfere with healing and make implants more likely to fail. Make sure that you tell your dentist about any medicines that you take regularly, and your smoking habits. Implants involve undergoing surgery twice or more over a period of several months. Since they are complicated form of treatment, implants can be expensive.
Your dentist should tell you about the stages of treatment, who would be carrying out each stage and the timetable for completing treatment. You might be referred to a specialist. Bone is exposed in the jaw where the tooth is missing. Then a hole is drilled and a metal post is inserted into the bone. This is usually done under local anaesthetia. The gum is then stitched over the post and is left to heal for several months, until the bone has grown around the post, making it secure. A second operation then happens, in which replacement teeth are mounted onto the implants. This requires a small cut in the gum above the implant. The replacement teeth might be single or in a group, and possibly as a bridge, attached to neighbouring natural teeth. They may be fixed permanently or attached in a way that lets you remove them for cleaning.
