Dental Implants

Have you lost all or some of your natural teeth? Bridges, dentures and flexible dentures are not the only solution, thanks to advances in modern dentistry. Have you heard of dental implants? Dental implants offer a clinically proven solution to getting a great smile back and being able to bite and chew with confidence.

This is how they work:

1. Dental implants are small medical grade titanium screws that are placed in the jaw, helping to replace missing teeth.
2. Once established, crowns, bridges and dentures can be fixed onto the implants, creating a natural-looking and stable solution to missing or broken down teeth.

Choosing to have implant treatment is a big decision but has allowed life changing changes for many individuals at Smile4U. If you are thinking about getting dental implants, come in for a consultation with Smile4U where your suitability for this particular treatment can be thoroughly assessed.

Here is what you can expect at a typical consultation:

1. A complimentary consultation can provide a broad outline of the procedure and associated costs
2. If you would like to consider the treatment further, additional questions will be asked about your medical history, your lifestyle and habits, as well as how you would like your smile to look after treatment. Factors like your oral health and jawbone density will also be taken into account.
3. X-rays, 3D digital scans and photographs will be taken of your mouth and you will also have a detailed dental examination. This will give the team a good idea of your current oral health and what treatment will give you the best results.
4. This initial consultation is a good opportunity for you to ask any questions that you might have about the treatment and to discuss costs and payment plan options.
5. Based on the current state of your teeth you may need to receive a few treatments with the hygienist in preparation for the implants.

Having dental implant treatment can be a life-changing experience. Our clients often comment about how easy and painless the procedure was, how different they feel when they look at their smiles in the mirror and many are surprised by how easy it is to bite and chew foods that they had previously avoided.

1. Depending on you particular needs, you may require a bone graft to prepare the implant site a few months before they are placed.
2. The surgery itself is usually done in the dental chair and, while the procedure is often painless, you will be given the option of having sedation if you feel particularly anxious. Although you will feel some pressure on your gums during the procedure, you will not feel any pain due to local anaesthesia. Our skilled team will make every effort to make you feel comfortable and relaxed throughout making use of ceiling mounted TV’s and noise cancelling head phones.
3. Once placed, you will need to take extra care of your teeth and gums to ensure they remain healthy and free of dental decay or gum diseases. It is important to understand that your implant will have to be looked after as if it was a natural tooth and that infections can arise if the proper regular hygiene is not carried out. With the help of our team at Smile4U you will be guided on how to best look after your implant so you can enjoy your new smile for years to come.

Losing a tooth can be devastating. You can no longer be able to eat the foods you love, feel self-conscious and suffer a lack of self-esteem. Did you know that your tooth could be replaced quickly , efficiently and easily with a dental implant?

A dental implant is a small titanium screw that integrates perfectly into your gum tissue, just where the root of your tooth would sit.

Here’s how it works:

1. The medical grade titanium screw will be painlessly placed directly into your jaw by your qualified Smile4U dentist. Its shape and material are optimal for close contact and ultimately fusion with bone, providing maximum stability later on.
2. Depending on the condition of your mouth and jawbone, the implant ‘abutment’ (the crown or bridge that fits onto the screw) may be added immediately after the screw is inserted, or sometimes it may be added at a later date. It will blend in perfectly with your natural teeth in colour and shape.
3. Either way, there will be some healing time. The screw will slowly integrate and meld with the bone, becoming a natural component of your jaw.

If you have lost multiple teeth, you may be wearing a denture or partial denture. This can be a real burden, causing embarrassment, discomfort and generally having a real negative impact on your quality of life. Did you know you don’t have to eat soft foods or wear dentures for the rest of your life? Implants are a viable and clinically proven alternative to removable bulky dentures when it comes to replacing missing teeth.

1. Multiple teeth can be replaced with just a few implants. Titanium implants can be used to support a bridge of up to four teeth in a row, each stable and sturdy with a great long term prognosis if maintained well.
2. Depending on the volume of jawbone, a dental implant and abutments can be placed on the same day or over a period of months. The implants will look and feel like your natural teeth.
3. After a period of healing, your implants will be fully integrated and will look, feel and function just like natural teeth.

Some people who require dental implant treatment may not always have adequate jaw bone density or width needed for implants to be placed. The better the bone density and the greater the bone volume the more stable and long lasting the dental implants will be, ensuring their longevity. Fortunately, a number of techniques have been developed that can strengthen the implant site before the surgery takes place.

One such method is bone expansion.

1. This advanced surgical procedure is designed to expand the area in the jaw where an implant needs to be placed using a series of instruments.
2. These instruments carefully expand the walls of the bone that form the prospective implant site, such as in the front of the upper jaw.
3. A small hole is first placed through the centre of the selected area, which is then filled with a bone graft, or an implant can be immediately inserted into the space. The enlarged surface area created allows for a firm foundation into which an implant can be placed.

Depending on the available jaw bone, a bone graft may be done in conjunction with the bone expansion procedure. Bone graft material can either consist of manufactured crystals that match bone structure, animal bone or autogenous bone, which is harvested from certain sites in the patient’s body.

Over the past few decades, implant dentistry has come to play an important role in the mainstream dental world. With clinical research, procedures such as implant placement techniques have been refined and can now yield better more predictable results.

1. The placement technique used with any implant is dependent on a number of factors such as the number of replacement teeth that will be attached to it and the available jaw bone density.
2. The ultimate goal is for the procedure to be minimally invasive, causing the least amount of discomfort to the patient while creating the maximum amount of stability for the implant to mesh into the jaw, known as osseointegration.
3. The more stable the implant, the longer it will last in the jaw, withstanding pressures in the mouth from biting and chewing.

Surgical treatment planning software is used to determine the angle, positioning and number of implants that need to be placed precisely. Some techniques involve the use of a surgical guide, which is a clear plastic tray fitted to the patient’s jaw with precise markings for the entry points. This ensures a high level of accuracy and reduced trauma and risks, resulting in a quicker healing of the implant site and eventually better implant stability.

If you have loose or ill-fitting dentures your ability to eat and speak may become affected. Due to advances in dentistry, there is now a procedure whereby your denture can be fixed to your jaw with dental implants. This treatment, known as implant overdentures or denture stabilisation, offers patients with dentures a more permanent solution and can significantly improve quality of life. You will be able to enjoy your favourite foods again and feel comfortable smiling in the knowledge that your dentures are staying put.

Here is how it works:

1. Your dentist will thoroughly assess your current condition with photos and 3D x-rays.
2. An appropriate treatment plan tailored to your needs will be discussed.
3. Your dentist will place the implants placed into your jaw.
4. Once the implants have integrated with the bone and surrounding tissues for a period of time, your dentures are clipped onto the implants through a range of special fixtures.
5. This means your dentures can still be removed for cleaning, but will stay firmly put once in place.