Dental Implants

In your initial consultation, you’ll be assessed for your suitability for treatment. Occasionally, dental implants might not be recommended for some patients. For example, if you have previously had radiotherapy in your jaw or if you have diabetes which isn’t under control.

If you smoke, you’ll be advised to give up before having an implant fitted. Research shows that the rate of implant failure is much higher for those who smoke than those who don’t.

Yes. Dentures are a popular solution to replace missing teeth, but people sometimes choose to replace their dentures with implants because they’re fixed into the jaw and eliminate the need for adhesives.

Implants are fitted under local anaesthetic which numbs the mouth, so you shouldn’t feel your implant being fitted.

After your implant, you’ll likely have some pain, bruising and swelling which will probably last around a week. This is normal, and you’ll be able to go to work the day after your procedure.

Your pain should ease with over-the-counter painkillers. If you’re concerned that your pain is abnormal, you should always consult your dentist.

If you look after them properly, implants can last as long as your natural teeth. It’s important to make sure you care for your implant properly to get the maximum lifespan out of it and reduce the risk of infection.

The time it takes for dental implants to be placed varies from person to person. The average length of time is between three and nine months, but this might be longer depending on your individual needs, and whether you need any preparation work such as extractions or bone grafts.

Dental implants are inserted directly into the jaw, so your dentist needs to make sure there’s enough bone to support the implant. If you don’t have enough, it’s possible to graft bone from your other body parts, commonly your shin or hip, and insert it into the jaw.

A bone graft may be performed under local anesthetic, or in hospital under general anesthetic, depending on where the bone comes from. This may add some time to having your implant fitted, but can be necessary for the implant to be a success. Although this may sound intimidating, it’s a common process and is nothing to be worried about.

Dental implants are screwed into your jaw bone to hold a new, false tooth in place, whereas bridges use the surrounding teeth as support for a false tooth or teeth. Sometimes, some healthy parts of your natural teeth have to be cut away to support bridges, whereas dental implants do not harm the surrounding teeth.