At Springmount Dental & Aesthetics, we’re passionate about helping to find ways to enhance and improve not just your smile but your life too. When dealing with a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth, the most transformative treatment we offer is dental implants. Simply put, dental implants are the gold standard when it comes to replacement options and second only to a natural tooth. Dental implants look, act, and feel just as the natural tooth does, and with good oral care – both at home and from your skilled team here at the practice – they can last a lifetime.emergencies
1. The assessment
You’ll come in for your consultation with Dr Campbell, our dental implant clinician. During this consultation, we’ll perform an assessment which will likely include X-Rays and/or CBCT scans, and perform a complete oral health history. From this, we’ll be able to ascertain if you’re a suitable candidate for a dental implant and whether or not prior treatment is needed to ensure the safety and success of the treatment.
2. The fitting
Your implant will be fitted for you here at the practice by Dr Campbell, with the titanium screw or screws being placed first. You’ll be placed under anaesthetic so you don’t feel a thing, and if necessary, we can also arrange for sedation so you’re completely comfortable throughout. After, we may fit you for a temporary restoration, and a week later, you’ll come in to have your stitches removed.
3. The finishing touch
After 6-16 weeks, the treatment site should be healed, and we’ll be able to apply your custom crown. You’ll leave the practice with a fully functional, natural-looking smile that should last a lifetime.
Dental implants are suitable in most cases. You do need to have enough healthy jawbone present to successfully receive an implant, but even if you don’t, there are treatments available that can address this.
Children cannot receive dental implants as their jawbone will not be developed enough. However, there is no upper age limit. As long as you are in good oral health – or we ensure you receive the treatment necessary to achieve good dental health – then dental implants should be a viable option.
Once your local anaesthetic has worn off, you should expect to experience some pain and discomfort at the site of implantation. This can usually be treated with over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. If the pain persists, however, then you should contact us as soon as possible.
The actual implant procedure usually takes 1-2 hours, depending on your individual situation and the complexities of the case.
If you take care of your implants well, they can last a lifetime.
If we find that there isn’t enough healthy bone available to receive an implant, then we might recommend bone augmentation/grafting or a sinus lift. We will also have to ensure that your overall oral health is in tip-top condition, so we may recommend treatment if we find any decay, infection or gum disease to be present.
The procedure itself will take place under local anaesthetic, so you won’t feel a thing. We can also arrange for sedation if you’re worried or nervous about the treatment.
In complex cases, dental implant treatments can take up to 18 months to complete, although in most cases, you’ll only have a wait of 18 weeks between implantation and the placement of your personal prosthetic/crown. In the meantime, we’ll usually be able to provide you with a temporary crown.
The number of implants you receive will depend on your individual needs and situation. In some cases, just one implant is necessary, while others will require having a whole arch of teeth replaced this way. At Springmount Dental & Aesthetics, we offer single-tooth dental implants, All-On-Four same-day teeth, and implant-retained dentures.
You can take care of your implants just as you do your natural teeth, but just like natural teeth, they do require proper at-home oral care, regular dental check-ups, and frequent hygiene appointments to ensure their longevity and maintain the health of the surrounding teeth.
