Dental Implants

Dental Implants

Dental implants offer a permanent solution for your missing teeth. A 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 on the same 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’s 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.

Association of Dental Implantology (ADI)

The ADI aims to provide the public with an improved understanding of the benefits of implantology, and members with the benefits of continuous skills development, safeguarding standards.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Advantages of Dental Implants

Disadvantages of Dental Implants

Frequently Asked Questions

You can find more information about Dental Implants in our » FAQ Section.

Single and Multiple Implants

Interesting Facts

Advantages of Tooth Replacement
Disadvantages of Tooth Replacement

Implant Retained Dentures

Interesting Facts

Complete denture wearers are usually able to wear an upper denture without problems, but many struggle to eat with complete lower dentures because it is too mobile.



Did you know that the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies the edentulous patient as being orally handicapped?

"Current evidence suggests that the restoration of the edentulous mandible with a conventional denture is no longer the 1st choice treatment". There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that a 2-implant overdenture is the minimum standard of care for the edentulous mandible.
McGill Consensus 2002, Montreal

Advantages
Patients are significantly more satisfied with a 2-4 implant/overdenture than with new conventional dentures (min. of 4 implants for upper jaw)

Positive impact on general health - improved nutrition due to improved chewing ability

Maintains bone in anterior mandible

Incidence of surgical complications is low

Average time from start to finish is 3 months " Easy to clean and maintain

Improves patients quality of life and self esteem

Disadvantages
Requires minor surgical procedure

Block Bone Grafting

Bone grafting is now a routine procedure in Implant Dentistry

Where teeth have been missing for a considerable length of time, bone grafting may be necessary to increase the bone height and width before implants can be placed. Four months after the bone graft, the implants can be placed.

Despite the advances in allograft (from another person) and xenograft (bovine) materials, autogenous (the patients) bone remains the 'gold standard'.

Bone can be taken from the chin, the ramus or the tuberosity. More bone can be taken from chin region relative to the other intra-oral sites. 10% of patients can experience some kind of temporary numbness after the procedure but this typically resolves within 6 months. Complications are more likely in smokers.

Sinus Bone Grafting

Many patients do not have sufficient bone height in the posterior maxilla.



A common, safe procedure to resolve this problem is by carrying out a sinus bone graft. If there is at least 3-4mm of existing bone height it is possible to place the implant(s) at the same time as the bone graft in the sinus.

Studies have shown that 'off the shelf' bone such as Bio-Oss (bovine bone) work just as well in the sinus as autogenous bone (the patient's own bone). It is advisable to have a CT scan taken prior to carrying out this type of surgery to minimize complications.

This procedure is not advisable to be carried out in smokers as they are more prone to complications.