Dental Implant/ Tooth Implant

Dental Implants allow the replacement of missing teeth with a substitute tooth that looks, acts and feels like a natural tooth. When you are missing a natural tooth, the teeth on either side of the gap may shift and tip over into the space. This makes it harder to clean these teeth and decay or gum disease may result.

An implant can fill the gap and maintain the rest of your natural teeth in the ideal position and prevent them becoming crooked. An implant can also replace a denture that you have worn for years.

Benefits of dental implants:

• Look natural and healthy and integrate harmoniously with your smile
• Have 40 years of recorded success
• Are long lasting
• Can improve your overall oral health and psychological health
• Like natural teeth, can be cleaned by dental floss and brushing with regular toothpaste. They usually do not require separate care routines or special cleaning products, as with dentures
• Help to withstand greater bite pressures than dentures
• Are usually more comfortable than dentures
• Unlike bridges, do not require the reshaping of neighbouring healthy teeth
• Prevent bone loss in the jaw (this may reduce the risk of adjacent natural teeth becoming loose)
• Prevent the formation of hollowed or collapsed cheeks, which can occur after tooth extractions (missing teeth cause bone loss in the jaw)
• Are usually surrounded by gum tissue like natural teeth
• May prevent gum recession
• Long term, they are less expensive (in time and money) than other conventional dental treatments.

Contra Indications:

• Age - Children younger then 17 years are usually not considered suitable because their bones are still growing
• Bone loss - A patient who lacks sufficient jawbone may not be suitable for implants. In many patients, bone replacement techniques can be used to rebuild enough bone for an implant site
• Smoking - Smoking impairs healing and may cause implant failure by preventing integration with the bone. Over time, smoking may cause a breakdown in the integration between the implant and the bone
• Pregnancy - Due to the radiographs required, it is best to wait until after pregnancy
• Certain medical conditions - Illness such as uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of complications, including infection and delayed healing around the implants.
• Alcohol or drug abuse - The patient may have dietary problems, be unable to follow the dentist's instructions, or fail to maintain proper oral hygiene