The natural look that you want!
Over 20 years experience in dental implant placement.
Dr Tony Goodison is fully qualified in Implantology and has over 20 years experience in placing dental implants.
The best way to describe a dental implant is to compare it to a real tooth. A natural tooth consists of a root and a crown. The part you see and eat with is the crown. Beneath the crown is the root which anchors the tooth through the gum tissue and to the jawbone.
When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown. You can have a dental implant which is essentially a new root to replace both the root and the crown.
A dental implant consists of a titanium root that is fitted into a socket that we create in your jaw to replace the loss of your natural tooth. Once a dental implant is placed in your jaw the bone around the implant will need to heal for up to 3 months. When this initial phase of healing is completed, a support post will be placed into the implant, and the new crown is placed on top of it.
This procedure to place a dental implant takes usually about an hour for one implant, 2 to 3 hours for multiple implants.
The placement process consists of the following steps:
If requested, you will receive medication prior to the surgery to make this a painless and comfortable procedure. You may prefer to be sedated, however, in most cases a local anaesthetic administered to numb the area where the implant will be placed is all that is required.
Using a special tool, a socket is created carefully avoiding damage to surrounding bone. Titanium implants are then inserted into the socket. Finally, if necessary, sutures will be used to close the gum tissue.
There are variety of ways that an implant is finished and prepared for the healing phase. Implants are often placed at the time of extraction. If the tooth or teeth are missing, the jawbone may become smaller and thinner. Implant placement can still be accomplished but may need a procedure to help built up the jaw. These procedures are referred to as grafting. They are relatively comfortable and done in our practice.
A sinus lift is a grafting procedure which is usually needed when upper back teeth have been missing for some time. The sinus is a hollow space in your upper jaw that has enlarged, causing bone loss. This procedure is done either before or at the time of implant placement.
‘All-on-4’ is the revolutionary, comfortable alternative to standard dentures, where a bridge is firmly anchored to 4 dental implants in the mouth, giving you the freedom to talk, laugh and chew without the worry and discomfort of moving dentures.