DENTAL IMPLANTS

The placement of a dental implant is often divided into two stages -

• Stage 1 – Surgical phase
• Stage 2 – Restorative phase

There is always a surgical phase and a restorative phase. The time span between these stages may vary, depending on each individual case.

In some cases, the implant can have a ‘tooth’ placed immediately. At other times, a healing period of about three months is necessary.

Surgical Phase

The implant surgery will be done in a comfortable and compassionate way at Geelong Smile Studio, under local anaesthetic using strict sterile operating techniques.

To place an implant, small incisions are made into your gum to expose the underlying jaw bone. Using special techniques and instruments, the implant is then inserted into the underlying jaw bone.

The surgical site is then closed around a healing abutment and the dental implant is allowed to heal ‘osseointegrate’ (bony integration) for a period of three months.

If the tooth test that you are missing and having replaced with a dental implant is in the aesthetic zone, you will be provided with an temporary denture. This will be placed immediately following the extraction of the tooth and insertion of the dental implant.

This temporary denture is to keep you looking good in the three months while waiting for the implant to complete osseointegration. That is, you will never be without your front tooth!

Restorative Phase

Three months following insertion of the dental implant, the degree of integration of the implant to the bone is tested with a simple ‘torque test’. This five minute procedure is completely painless and does not require any local anaesthetic.

Provided osseointegration has been successful, an additional 30 minute appointment will be scheduled to take an impression of the dental implant.

This impression is sent to a dental ceramist who will then construct the final crown. An appointment may need to be arranged between you and the ceramist so that the colour and contour of the final crown will be as natural as possible.

It usually takes three weeks for the dental ceramist to construct the crown.

At the final 30 minute appointment, the crown is tried in your mouth and provided that you are happy with the match to your existing teeth, the crown is then attached to the underlying implant. Again this procedure is often performed without local anaesthetic.

Maintaining optimal dental hygiene around your dental implant is a life-time commitment and will ensure the chances that your implant will remain successful.

The most ‘tooth-like’ replacement available.

The dental implant emerges from the gum, just like a real tooth (It doesn’t sit on top of the gum). An ‘implant-retained crown’ has a far superior appearance, compared to a dental bridge.

Placing a dental implant doesn’t damage the surrounding teeth Implants can be placed so that they function totally independent of the remaining teeth. People will often lose a tooth due to a traumatic incident. If the dentist were to use conventional bridgework to replace a missing tooth, the surrounding sound teeth would need to be prepared and shaped. This shaping process can expose these surrounding teeth to nerve damage. The beauty of the dental implant is that it can be placed without involving (much less damaging), the surrounding sound teeth.

Dental implants avoid bone loss that causes jaw shrinkage.

Dental implants also stop the loss of bone from your jaw following extraction of teeth. When you have teeth extracted, bone is lost and shrinkage of the jaw bone occurs. This makes you appear older. A dental implant acts just like a real tooth Dental implants act and feel like your own teeth. Dental implants are fixed within your jaw bone and are not removable like a denture.

With implants, stable dentures become a possibility.

An important application of dental implants is to help retain dentures. This type of denture is referred to as an implant retained overdenture.

How Does an Overdenture Work?

Much like a press stud on a dentist’s clinical jacket, there is a male component attached to the implant with a female component housed within the denture. A minimum of two implants are required in the lower jaw, and often four to six implants in the upper jaw, to ensure the success of overdentures.

Advantages of Overdentures

Talk to anyone who has had complete dentures or even a partial denture and they will tell you of the nightmares that they have had with their ‘teeth’. They will tell you how they have suffered for so long with the fear of their teeth flying out when they laugh or smile, the embarrassment of sneezing and losing their teeth. People with complete dentures dream of maybe eating an apple or steak. They often suffer traumatic ulcers from constantly moving dentures, as well as pain from exposed nerves due to bone loss. There may be also a need for relines, as well as having to cope with sticky, messy denture adhesives, not to mention the inability to taste or grasp food properly. With implants, stable dentures become a possibility.

Overdentures – The appropriate standard of care for Complete Tooth Loss

At Geelong Smile Studio, we believe that the appropriate standard of care for complete tooth loss (edentulousness) in the lower jaw is the provision of implant retained overdentures. Implant Retained Dentures are biologically conservative. Implants that are placed to retain dentures can function with total independence of the remaining teeth. If conventional bridgework were to be used, the surrounding sound teeth often need to be prepared and shaped. The shaping process can expose these surrounding teeth to nerve damage. Dental implants can be placed without damage to the surrounding sound teeth.