Dental implants

At An Dental, we have a team of dental surgeons to give you a dental implant in a safe, clinically proven manner in the least possible amount of time……. so you never go toothless.

Before we do the dental implant, you will be assessed with CT scans (3-D scans) with high resolution and very low radiation to elucidate critical structures in the bone and gums to make sure the implants are placed in a very safe and optimal manner. Our clinic uses the KAVO OP3D and Focus CT scan and Xray machine. The KaVo OP 3D won the German Innovation Award in 2018, which represents an externally recognised sign of innovation and quality. This machine has low dose technology which makes it very safe for adults and even children if 3D imaging is needed.

We also do immediate implants and immediate provisionalisation of the implant so you never have to go toothless. The implant fixture may sometimes have an implant crown placed immediately after surgery. Of course, not everyone is a suitable candidate for this technique and it is dependent on your bone structure and type of bite. You will be carefully evaluated to see if you are a suitable candidate for this technique. We also use dental implant systems with a long-standing reliable history backed with scientific data to ensure longevity of your dental implant treatment.

All this to bring you a very natural-looking tooth or teeth so no one can tell it is not something you were born with!

You may also opt for sedation in our comfortable operating suite and wake up from a deep snooze in our “heal” room.

Who needs dental implants?

People that have missing teeth, or teeth that have cracked and are unrestorable and need to be replaced. Of course, you need to be medically and dental healthy before we are able to place implants for you. Otherwise, the longevity of the dental implant will be affected.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25342349/

Why do dental implants?

There are several options when you have to extract a tooth:

1. Leave the space alone. If this is a tooth right at the back and you don’t use the tooth very much for chewing, it is ok to leave it without any restoration at all. However, if you need the tooth for function or too look nice, this is not really a plausible option!! (cos eeeee not nice!)
2. Wear a denture. This is a removable plastic piece that you take out at night. It can be used temporarily and it can give reasonable aesthetics but I am sure you don’t want to wake up in the morning with no teeth…. It’s like wearing a toupee you know, you have to remove it and it’s not a permanent option.

3. Do a bridge. Sometimes it is possible to trim the teeth adjacent to the space and replace the missing tooth with a fake tooth that is stuck onto the adjacent fake teeth.

4. Do dental implants. If you are medically and dentally healthy and have enough bone to anchor the implant, this would be the best option. You do not need to cut down adjacent healthy teeth to lend support to the replacement tooth and all the teeth units exist as independently. Which means that if one tooth is damaged, there is no damage to the adjacent teeth or implants. You don’t have to change the whole structure unlike a fixed bridge, which links teeth together. Adding another titanium tooth to the whole dental complex also means the bite is stronger. You get to increase your chewing force compared to the above 3 options.

How are dental implants done?

Your dental surgeon will give you numbing cream, then give you an injection to numb the area.

We tease the gums open and place titanium fixtures that are shaped like tooth roots into the jaw bone. If the missing tooth is in the back of the mouth and cannot be seen, a temporary protective cover screw is placed at the neck of the titanic fixture and the gums are sewn back in place to cover the head of the fixture.

We usually let the titanium screw heal and stick to the jawbone for 2 to 4 months then we fabricate the implant crown.

Sometimes, we also do immediate implants and immediate provisionalisation of the implant so you never have to go toothless. This means that the cracked or unrestorable tooth is extracted and the implant fixture placed at the same visit. We may also sometimes place implant crown immediately after surgery. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022391307600146 Of course, not everyone is a suitable candidate for this technique and it is dependent on your bone structure and type of bite. You will be carefully evaluated to see if you are a suitable candidate for this type of treatment. This shortens the course of treatment and you never need a temporary restoration like a denture.

Bleeding: A small amount of oozing for the first 24 hours following surgery is normal.  If slight bleeding is noted gently apply moderate pressure to the area with gauze for 20 minutes. If you run out of gauze, get a caffeinated tea bag and run it under distilled or clean water. Squeeze dry and place it with compression onto the area with bleeding. The caffeine will cause the blood vessels to constrict an reduce bleeding. Don’t rinse too hard or spit forcefully! If bleeding cannot be controlled, contact An Dental at Tel 85889868.

Mouth Care: Please refrain from pulling on your lips and keep your TONGUE and fingers away from the surgical site.  Minimizing post-surgical movement and trauma will help the site to heal faster and more effectively.  Sutures have been placed and will either be removed in 1-2 weeks or resorb away on their own.  The sutures may also become loose as the surgical site heals.  Please refrain from smoking during the healing phase.

Diet: Avoid hot, spicy, brittle, or abrasive foods following surgery.  Often a soft diet is best for the first 24 hours.  Minimize chewing on the side where surgery was performed.  A balanced diet is important for optimal healing.

Oral Hygiene: Refrain from brushing the surgical area until instructed.  You have been given a prescription for Chlorhexidine.  Beginning 24 hours after surgery, begin rinsing your mouth twice a day for 30 seconds.  Also, do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes following rinsing.  Side effects of this mouth rinse may include staining and taste alterations, which are reversible.

Follow-up appointments: You will be scheduled to return to our clinic for a follow-up appointment at 1-2 weeks.  This is a short appointment (20 minutes) and is very important.  At this time, sutures may be removed and additional oral hygiene instructions given.