Dental Implants
The perfect solution for replacing one or more missing teeth, a dental implant is a surgical fixture placed in the jawbone, filling the gap, and both looking and feeling like a real tooth. Implants may also be utilised to support dentures, as a fixed denture alternative.
At Smile Clinic - your implant procedure will be performed either in-house, or with a specialist by referral.
What to expect at my appointment?
Initial Consult, Diagnosis and Planning
It is vital that careful planning takes place when preparing for your implant treatment. Prior to commencing treatment, an initial consult with your dentist will always take place. This ensures that both the dentist and patient have a clear understanding of the expectations and primary concerns of the patient.
With a clear idea of the desired result, and dentist will use this information to formulate a treatment plan that is best suited to your needs and oral condition.
This can be the replacement of one tooth, or multiple.
Diagnosis and Planning
Dental Implants require careful and precise planning to ensure the best end result.
This planning will involve several scans and x-rays to assess your oral condition, as well as bone density, nerves, soft tissues and location of sinuses.
It is usually recommended to seek planning for an implant soon after an extraction or loss of a tooth, to ensure adequate bone support to accommodate the implant.
In some cases, where the bone volume may not be adequate, bone grafting may be required. This is a common procedure, and will be performed either before or during your implant placement.
Once scans have been completed, the dentist will work closely with a dental laboratory technician to determine the correct position and size of the final prosthesis, and well as the size and the angulation of the implant within the jawbone. This final position of the implant is then transferred into a surgical guide with the help of an intraoral scanner.
Placement, Healing and Prosthetic Phase
On the day of implant placement, you will present to the clinic for the surgical procedure. During this appointment, the dentist will insert the implant, which usually takes less than an hour. Following this, healing will take place at the implant site, which generally takes around 2-6 months.
When the site is adequately healed, the dentist will take an intra-oral scan of the site to plan the final shape and fit of the tooth. Once the final "crown" is received from the laboratory, it will be placed onto the implant abutment, and is now a full functioning addition to your dental arch,
