Ask the Experts
DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY
A dental implant is one of the most reliable and long lasting treatment for tooth loss. The procedure involves implanting a metal screw within the jawbone as a replacement for a damaged tooth root. The bone around the tooth will fuse to the implant keeping it securely in place.
A crown is then fitted on top of the implant giving the aesthetic and functionality of a normal tooth.
Benefits of Dental Implant Systems:
- Restores the ability to chew
- Restores cosmetic appearance
- Helps keep the jawbone from shrinking due to bone loss
- Preserves the health of the surrounding bone and gums
- Helps keep adjacent (nearby) teeth stable
- Improves quality of life
Dental implant procedure:
The dental implant is considered an outpatient procedure, as it does not require admission to the hospital.
Dental implant procedure is carried out in stages, and requires time for bone healing between the different stages, as the implantation procedure includes several steps, including:
Removing the damaged tooth parts.
Preparing the jawbone and sometimes bone grafting is needed.
Implanting the titanium root into the jaw.
Waiting for bone growth around the implanted area and healing.
Placing the abutment on the titanium root.
Installing the artificial crown.
The procedure can take more than a month, most of the time passes to allow the growth and healing of the bone. Several steps can be combined into one session.
In most cases, the discomfort will peak within about 3-5 days after your treatment, and then begin to subside relatively quickly. By the end of your first week post-surgery, you should be feeling little, if any, discomfort and pain.
Dental implants last an average of 25 years. There are many reasons implants may last less than or longer than this average lifespan. People with good oral hygiene will have their implants last longer.
A dentist will either use a local anaesthetic (where the patient is fully awake);
under general anaesthetic (where the patient is fully asleep);
with light sedation combined with local anaesthetic (where the patient is drowsy, but still somewhat conscious).