What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth and are a fixed, long-term solution. A dental implant is a where a titanium screw is placed into the jaw bone and an abutment is placed on top. This can either be a single crown or a bridge or implant retained denture to replace multiple teeth.
What Appointments Would Be Needed For A Dental Implant?
Phase 1
Any teeth needing to be extracted will be done so around three to six months before dental implant treatment. A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reasons, including tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to prevent restoration. The tooth will be removed and there will be no further issue with this tooth.
Phase 2
A CBCT 3D scan may be required prior to treatment, this gives a view of your dental anatomy and assists our careful and accurate planning of your treatment.
Phase 3
Placement of the Implant fixture. The Implant will be precisely and gently placed into healthy bone. The Implant will then be allowed to heal under the gum over a period of three to six months. During this period the implant is not loaded or put under any direct stress. This enables the bone to fuse to the Implant, a process called osseointegration, after this process has occurred, then the implant can be considered to be integrated into the body. We may have to bulk the bone with a technique called ‘guided tissue regeneration’.
Phase 4
Following the appropriate healing period, the implant head will be exposed, assessed and a healing cap will be placed. The healing caps allow the gum margins to shape and contour to give the final restoration a more natural appearance.
Phase 5
We will then assess your implant and hope to take an impression for final the restoration.
Phase 6
Finally, we would remove the healing cap from the implant and fit the restoration once it has returned back from the lab.
