Dental Implants

Dental implants are changing the way people live. They are the high technology answer for people missing one or more teeth who want an attractive, comfortable functional replacement for missing teeth.

Whether it is a single tooth replacement or a complete set of teeth, implants look, feel and function like natural teeth. With implants, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh, smile and enjoy life.

What are implants?

Implants are tiny titanium cylinders, which are surgically placed in the jawbone where teeth are missing. Through a process called “osseointergration” the jawbone actually attaches itself to the implant over time, providing tremendous stability. This process takes between three to six months. Once this has occurred, smaller posts called abutments are screwed into the implant and then the crown or denture are securely attached to the abutment.

Whilst the bone is joining onto the implant, patients are fitted with temporary dentures or natural – looking teeth so that they can function as normally as possible without disrupting their daily life.

What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

• Surrounding teeth are unaffected
  Since the implant is inserted in to the jaw the adjacent teeth are not affected. This is very important if these teeth do not have any large fillings, as other ways of replacing missing teeth would mean that sound tooth structure would be taken away.
• Preservation of Bone Levels
  Implants behave exactly like the roots of our own teeth serving to stimulate the bone and preserving it for all time. Keeping the bone helps maintain our facial shape and prevents premature ageing.
• Improved Biting Pressure
  Patients who have had dentures for a long time, usually can only apply one tenth the biting pressure of natural teeth. Dental implants restore the amount of biting pressure that can be withstood to nearly the same level of healthy natural teeth.
• Comfort and Fit
  The usual problems associated with dentures that slip and slide due to a lack of bone like sores, poor function and clicking sounds are eliminated by dental implants because the replacement teeth are anchored securely to the implants in the jawbone.
• Longevity and Reliability
  The success rate for dental implants is the highest of any form of dentistry. The human body recognizes titanium in the same way as it does a tooth root, so the implants are permanently accepted by the body. Once this integration occurs, there are few complications with proper oral hygiene and care.
• Increased Self Confidence
  People feel a lot better about themselves and life in general once they can smile, laugh, talk and chew again with confidence.

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After

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Who Can Benefit?

Almost anybody who has lost one or more teeth can have dental implants. irrespective of age. There are techniques available even for patients who have lost substantial amounts of bone.

Does it Hurt?

This is the most commonly asked question by patients contemplating this procedure. Most patients say that the procedure is much easier than removing a tooth and better than expected. There may be some discomfort afterwards depending on the number of implants placed. This is controlled by pain relievers.

For patients who are particularly nervous or where a lot of implants need to be placed at one time various sedation techniques can be used.

Is it Safe?

There has now been over thirty years of research showing that implant treatment is both safe and reliable, even in medically compromised or elderly patients.

At Island Dental we are excited to offer this advanced dental restoration alternative to our patients. We ensure a meticulous approach to implant treatment, which has led to universal success in their use. It is an important part of our commitment to help our patients keep a healthy, great – looking smile for a lifetime.

Enjoy the smile you’ve always wanted. With today’s advanced material s and techniques we offer more options than you dreamed possible!