Dental Implants
Dental implant surgery
Dental implants are an innovative form of dental treatment that look and feel exactly like natural teeth. They effectively give you a third set of teeth as they are permanent, aesthetically superb and allow you to smile, talk and eat with confidence.
The procedure is straightforward and at Wayside, we have placed hundreds of them with a very high success rate. The implant itself is a small titanium post that is surgically placed into the jaw. Once it has become integrated into the bone, it acts as a replacement root to support a crown or bridge or to give stability to loose dentures.
Dental Implants have revolutionised dentistry with the many advantages they bring. Gaps can now be filled without the need for a bridge. Bridges work well but they do require the teeth either side of the gap to be prepared as for crowns to support the bridge. Implants can also be used to anchor loose dentures or even to replace dentures and this is so even if there are no teeth in either the upper or lower jaw. Imagine not having to take out your teeth at night, tasting your food and having the confidence to talk and eat without worrying about your teeth moving. We also provide All-on-4 dental implants which allow new teeth to be placed in one day so you can throw away your dentures on the way out-click on the highlighted part to be taken to this page. Implants also ensure that any bone around the area of the lost tooth is retained and improved, thus keeping or even improving the shape of the jaw bone to maintain your facial structure.
Our Dental Implant Dentists
Dr Robin Horton and Dr Nick Morton are highly experienced in placing dental implants and in all the procedures associated with implants. They are able to carry out bone grafting to boost any deficiencies in bone, and gum reshaping to allow the implant to look exactly like a natural tooth. They both do their implants with the use of a laser and are the only UK dentists currently doing this. This allows the surgery to take place with no bleeding and no need for stitches, so less pain. Also the laser kills any bacteria around the site to prevent infection and its use encourages faster healing. Robin and Nick also mentor other cosmetic dentist in implants and are a referral centre for Nobel Biocare, the biggest implant company in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Click on question to see answers)What are dental implants?
Dental implants are root replacements made from titanium that are surgically implanted into the jaw. Either a crown or a bridge is attached to the implant to act as the new tooth.
Are implants safe? How long do they last?
Implants are long established and totally safe. 90% of modern implants last for at least 15 years and they can last twice that long.
Can anyone have a dental implants?
Implants are not appropriate for everyone as they depend upon the quality of the bone tissue and the condition of the gums. Other factors against implants succeeding are excessive smoking as this deters healing, high alcohol consumption as this affects the gums, auto immune disease as this affects healing and excessive grinding. Our implant dentist can make an assessment to see if you are a suitable candidate for implants.
Do I need to have an implant if my tooth is missing?
Missing, broken or fractured teeth can affect your oral health, appearance and feeling of well being. This is because they can be a site for infection and inflammation. Also, missing teeth will affect the way you bite and thus put stress on your remaining teeth and your jaw. This could lead to excessive wear on your remaining teeth, jaw pain and headaches.
What are the advantages of dental implant?
A gap can be filled without the need for a bridge which compromises adjacent teeth. If you are a denture wearer, you could have implants instead to support a bridge or to make your denture stable, see also All-on-4. Implants ensure that your bone around the implant is retained and improved to maintain your facial structure. And once they have successfully integrated, they last a long time.
Do implants hurt?
You will be given a local anaesthetic during the treatment with the use of The Wand, a computer controlled device that administers anaesthetic painlessly. Once this has worn off you may feel some discomfort and there may be inflammation and tenderness while the implant is integrating. Each patient varies in the amount of pain they feel, depending on how they are made. Because we use lasers this stops infection and minimises swelling.
What is the dental implant procedure?
Your implant dentist will assess your gums and bone density and identify where to locate the implant by an x ray or by a CT scan. A CT scan is always required if computer guided implants are needed, either because several are being placed or because there is very little bone.
Once a plan has been made and accepted by you, the implant will be placed. This is done by using a laser to open the site (no bleeding, fast healing) and then placing the implant precisely into position. We then take a radiograph to verify that the implant is perfectly in place.
Once the implant has integrated into your bone, which usually takes 3 months, we will place your new tooth or teeth.
On front teeth, we will place a temporary crown as soon as the implant has been placed. We do not do this on single back teeth implants as there is more load placed on back teeth which can adversely affect healing.
We use Nobelactive (made by Nobel Biocare) implants for front teeth as uniquely, these can be placed immediately after the tooth has been removed because of their greater initial stability. Also uniquely, the position of these can be altered if necessary so that the position is perfect for the final restoration. On a front tooth we will place the final abutment (which is a post for your new 'tooth' to sit on) on the implant immediately so that a temporary crown can be placed. This allows your gum to stay in place and regrow while the implant integrates, and this ensures that your final new 'tooth' looks totally natural. On a back tooth we will place a healing abutment at the implant stage, which will allow your gum to regrow while your implant is integrating. Many dentists do not place a healing abutment on a back tooth implant when the implant is placed, so have to reopen the site to place the abutment after the healing stage and a month before the placement of your final tooth. This is because using a scalpel to open the gum opens more of the gum tissue than is required for the implant so that any healing abutment would need to be sewn into place, which is tricky to do.The laser allows us to do this easily by opening up a very small site in a circular shape just where the implant is going to go, so that we can put the healing abutment on immediately and have a sealed site afterwards. This means there is only one surgical procedure, minimising trauma to the soft tissues and also that the gum has been given the opportunity to grow so that it looks like the implant has always been there when the new 'tooth' is placed. It also reduces the time that you have to wait for your new tooth.
Once a plan has been made and accepted by you, the implant will be placed. This is done by using a laser to open the site (no bleeding, fast healing) and then placing the implant precisely into position. We then take a radiograph to verify that the implant is perfectly in place.
Once the implant has integrated into your bone, which usually takes 3 months, we will place your new tooth or teeth.
On front teeth, we will place a temporary crown as soon as the implant has been placed. We do not do this on single back teeth implants as there is more load placed on back teeth which can adversely affect healing.
We use Nobelactive (made by Nobel Biocare) implants for front teeth as uniquely, these can be placed immediately after the tooth has been removed because of their greater initial stability. Also uniquely, the position of these can be altered if necessary so that the position is perfect for the final restoration. On a front tooth we will place the final abutment (which is a post for your new 'tooth' to sit on) on the implant immediately so that a temporary crown can be placed. This allows your gum to stay in place and regrow while the implant integrates, and this ensures that your final new 'tooth' looks totally natural. On a back tooth we will place a healing abutment at the implant stage, which will allow your gum to regrow while your implant is integrating. Many dentists do not place a healing abutment on a back tooth implant when the implant is placed, so have to reopen the site to place the abutment after the healing stage and a month before the placement of your final tooth. This is because using a scalpel to open the gum opens more of the gum tissue than is required for the implant so that any healing abutment would need to be sewn into place, which is tricky to do.The laser allows us to do this easily by opening up a very small site in a circular shape just where the implant is going to go, so that we can put the healing abutment on immediately and have a sealed site afterwards. This means there is only one surgical procedure, minimising trauma to the soft tissues and also that the gum has been given the opportunity to grow so that it looks like the implant has always been there when the new 'tooth' is placed. It also reduces the time that you have to wait for your new tooth.
How do I look after my dental implant?
Dental implants are a replacement for your natural teeth and need to be looked after in the same way. You will not be able to see the dental implant after it has healed. We recommend that you brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and floss at least once daily. We like Arm & Hammer toothpaste. You must also avoid damaging the implant site by gentle brushing and by not biting down too hard on anything, especially during the early days. Visit us regularly and also go to the hygienist when you dentist recommends it.
Do I have an implant for each missing tooth?
Only if you are replacing single teeth. If you are replacing several teeth next to each other then you will not have an implant for each missing tooth and instead implants will be placed to act as supports for a bridge.
Can I have new teeth straight away?
We always place a temporary 'tooth' immediately on a front tooth implant but not as frequently on back teeth as greater force is placed on these teeth and this can adversely affect the healing of the implants.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants are used all over the world and have a very high success rate. With good oral hygiene, research has shown that they can last up to 30 years.
Are dental implants expensive?
Implants are expensive and the costs vary depending on whether computer guided technology is used, whether bone grafts are required, the number of implants needed and the type of implant used. We mostly use Nobel Biocare implants because they have decades of research behind them, are made of pure titanium and they are designed in a way to allow the most natural looking restoration. Some patients research the possibility of having implants done abroad but we would caution against this because in our experience they do not use the same quality of implant, are not on hand to be there if anything goes wrong and cannot provide the same aftercare. Always ensure any price you are quoted is for the whole procedure, from start to finish as sometimes you will be presented with bills for 'extras' which should have been included in the first quotation.
If you would like a free consultation, please give us a call or send us an email.
