Your dental implant
Questions Answered

Dental Implant FAQs

1. What are the best implants to have?

There are many dental implant systems available and to choose a best would be inappropriate. However, as a customer it is always good to have as much information as possible before you proceed with treatment.

Rather than asking which is the best implant, ask the question, 'Which is the best implant treatment for me?'

You will be having a few appointments so it's important that they are easy to book and getting to the practice in time is straightforward.

Time is always a consideration. Do you want to have the time to relax and discuss your ongoing treatment needs or do you prefer just to get into the practice, have your treatment and leave. If the gaps in your teeth have been that way for a long time it is likely that the gum and bone in this area is disappearing. The choice of implant is made according to the amount of bone for placement but also the gum height for a pleasing smile.

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2. Why not just a denture?

Dentures are a less treatment intensive solution to filling the gaps. Most dentures will sit on the ridge left by the teeth and whilst it provides a smile and some chewing many people complain that a denture becomes loose or is more associated with an ‘older’ generation. There are excellent materials and dental technicians I work with that can provide an excellent denture. It's just if you are looking for something that is more stable in the mouth and keeps your gum and bone an implant is the way forward.

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3. Why do I need a bone graft before my implant is fitted?

I can answer this with a metaphor. You would not build a house without solid foundations.

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4. I want a film star smile, can you do it?

It largely depends on which film star! All joking aside the condition of your mouth plays a huge part in what people see as attractive. There are natural realities to the ageing process, putting a 25 year old smile in a 50 year old is just going to look plain wrong. I know a more youthful appearance is important however, the differences between young and older teeth is considerable. What we are looking for is a natural and beautiful smile that will last you a very long time.

The main difference between younger and older teeth is that older teeth are smoother, all that tooth brushing and eating, and longer, your gums naturally recede with age. If you have had spaces in your teeth for some time, the gums will probably have receded alot more. We can rebuild this area, Carl is an expert with bone augmentation ( adding it) but the appearance of the gums and teeth on your implants still needs to blend in. There are many ways to dewrinkle yourself, plump a few bits up etc infact we do a bit of this with our patients. But ultimately the investment in your smile needs to be so good that nobody notices anything except a beautiful smile.

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5. Are dental implants safe?

Orthopaedic surgeon Per-Ingvar Branemark discovered that if an implant is placed into bone that the bone integrates ( fuses) with the implant leaving a secure and safe structure. However, chosing the right place to put an implant, to restore it correctly and ensuring the patients general health ( ie you don’t smoke 6 weeks prior to and after the implant is fitted) are key to success. So in answer, yes dental implants are safe but chose the best treatment provider you can.

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6. I need my dental implants quickly, what can be done?

New Teeth in One Day

Many people hate gaps in their teeth and dentures that move when you smile, chew or talk. You need to cut your food up into small pieces, you cannot taste it properly and as for soaking your dentures every night, it’s not pleasant.

This does not help your remaining teeth either, the gums or the bones often doing permanent damage. Act sooner rather than later. But what treatments can you have?

Conventional implant surgery which can take many months to complete involves wearing dentures during the process. However, modern implant treatment now allows us to replace your failing teeth with new fixed teeth in just one day.

This innovative technique, sometimes called All-on-4, uses four specially placed dental implants to permanently fix teeth to the jaw.

First a special x ray of the teeth and jaws is taken to assess the bone. Stone Models of the teeth are then taken to study the bite and appearance. This allows us to alter the colour, shape and position of the teeth to improve the appearance. A bridge is made to replace the failing teeth. This will be attached to the four implants.

Any loose teeth are gently removed and the dental implants are placed. Your gums are numb, you will feel no pain. After a few hours you will be able to go home or relax with us with a light lunch and a rest. During this time your new teeth are being customised in the laboratory. When you return later in the day, we will fit your new teeth. This is a quick, easy visit. You can then go home. You will be able to eat on the new teeth immediately.

After 10 weeks the implants will have fused to the bone and a new permanent bridge can be made. This allows us to further enhance the smile and refine the bite.

We know that dental implants are very successful but over the years we expect the bridge to wear. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to replace the worn teeth without having to replace the entire bridge maybe after 8-10 years.

Looking after your new teeth is quite simple. The implants must be cleaned twice daily. You should visit your dentist every six months to check the implants and to have them polished. Occasionally x rays must be taken to check the implants.

Sometimes the bone in the jaw is not suitable but we can manage this by building up synthetic bone called BioOss to thicken and shape areas that are thin.

We can also use dental implants to tighten a denture. Two, three or four implants are placed in the jaw and the denture is made to clip onto the implants. This technique is cheaper than having fixed teeth and provides a very stable denture that stays in place during eating and talking but can be removed easily to clean.

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7. How long should a dental implant last?

There are two parts to this answer, what we do and what you do. Like any restoration, a dental implant requires good dental health maintenance between your regular dental check ups right? Yes, showing up is important, we can keep an eye on its health and you can keep it clean and healthy through your own dental hygiene programme at home. If we do what we are good at and you do what you are good at ( I’d quit smoking if I was you as well) then you should get a good 20 years out of an implant. Thats why we talk about these restorations as investments. They may appear to cost the same as a hedge fund managers bonus but actually these represent a good value investment in your health.

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8. I don’t want dentures anymore, what can I have?

An option that works well is the fixed bridge that is either screwed onto or cemented onto your implants. Dental implants are extremely effective with dentures as there is no need to have a palate ( roof of your mouth) section to hold your denture in place. Actually the difference between an implant denture and a conventional one is quite marked. One common complaint of dentures is that taste is inhibited because parts of your mouth are covered in plastic. Implant dentures do not need this coverage as their retention is based on the implants rather than ‘suction’. Fixed bridge work is as near as having real teeth as possible. But as I have written before your gums can resorb when you lose teeth leaving gaps that need filling with your new bridge. Do speak to your dentist about what you would like before they start.

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9. How does the implant integrate with my jaw bone?

Your dental implant is designed to for both mechanical and bioactive retention. The thread of the implant has a screw like effect into your bone. I know, this does not sound too pretty but its pretty much pain free and we are very experienced at this. The implant itself is usually made of Titanium, this metal is highly biocompatible. In other words, your body will not reject it. Bioactive retention occurs when the implant is coated with materials that promote bone to grow around them creating a bond.

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10. What can I have done to help me chew more comfortably?

Implants are a fantastic way of replacing lost teeth in the back of your mouth. By securing the implants in your jaw you will be able to chew on steaks or Haloumi cheese with comfort and confidence that all will stay in place. You can savour and enjoy every mouthful.

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11. How can you make dental implants more affordable?

The benefits of dental implants are clear. Smiling, chewing, feeling great are all benefits but we all have different budgets and expectation of what we want to pay. There are many 0% finance options available that will break your payments down into smaller monthly chunks. Another option, as we have discussed before, is to consider an implant retained denture rather than bridge. Implant retained dentures stay in place, so no slipping and dropping dentures. Plus the material used for dentures today are so much more natural in appearance that it is often impossible to tell that they are false teeth.

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12. Will my mouth feel overcrowded with implants and dentures?

Not at all. When designing your treatment we work within the ‘neutral’ zone, the area where your natural teeth and gums used to be. Our aim is to fill this space, improve on appearance as well as have the most comfortable chewing or biting you can. A successful dental implant treatment should give you great function as well as appearance. Any over closing of your jaws caused by a lack of teeth is reduced providing support to your cheeks and lips hence improving appearance.

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