What are dental implants?

Dental implants are an excellent way to replace one or more missing teeth. They are as aesthetically pleasing, functional, and long lasting as a natural tooth. As with any medical procedure, it is important to understand the procedures, benefits, risks and costs involved before proceeding with treatment.

A dental implant can be thought of as an artificial root that is placed in the jaw. Together with the crown on top, it is considered the ‘Gold Standard’ for replacing teeth today. The implant comprises of a medical-grade titanium body that allows for a binding process called Osseo integration with the bone.

The whole procedure involves approximately 3-4 visits. This may vary depending on the complexity of the case. For all these procedures, you are often fit for work the next day.

Stage 1: Treatment Planning

Our experts at Simply Teeth carry out a comprehensive examination as well as thorough treatment planning process. Together with an X-ray of the area, the ideal shape, length, size and position of implant placement are determined.

Stage 2: Implant Placement

The implant is placed inside bone and left to heal for approximately 2-3 months. During this time, a temporary tooth can be provided for function and aesthetics.

Stage 3: Crown, Bridge or Denture Installation

When the implant has adequately Osseo-integrated with bone, the porcelain tooth or bridge can be installed. This should result in teeth replacement that looks aesthetic and functions naturally.

Variations

Denture Retained Implant
Loose or ill fitting dentures can be socially embarrassing as they make speaking and eating, difficult and unnatural. Implants can help stabilise your dentures without the need for messy denture pastes. The procedure for implant placement is exactly the same. Instead of a crown or bridge, however, the denture is fitted onto the dental implants.

What are some common risks involved during the placement of dental implants?

No medical procedure comes without risks. Some of the most common risks of dental implant placement include: Non Osseo-Integration.

This occurs when the implant fails to integrate with bone. Although dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%, failures can occur due to infection, micro movement and systemic conditions.

Our dentists at Simply Teeth ensure optimal implant placement conditions before the procedure is carried out.

Peri-implantitis is a disease that commonly affects dental implants. This refers to an inflammatory process that affects the soft and hard tissue surrounding the dental implant.

Peri-implantitis occurs more often when cleanliness around the implant is not maintained. At Simply Teeth, our dentists have been trained to clean and maintain implant sites to minimise the risk of peri-implantitis.