Dental implants are a great, fixed solution to replace missing teeth. They use a small titanium screw that replaces the root portion of a missing natural tooth. Dental implants can be placed in either the upper or lower jaws. Due to the biocompatible properties of titanium, the implants fuse with the bone. This becomes a good anchor for the replacement tooth. You can find more information on dental implants here. In this blog post, we will talk you through the process so you know what to expect!
Consultation and beginning the process
The process of getting a dental implant ideally starts as soon as you know your tooth needs to be extracted. Dental implants require the bone around your original tooth to be preserved as best possible. Often, the Implantologist would prefer to do the extraction themselves, to ensure they use techniques to preserve the bone.
We would invite you for a consultation to see if you are a suitable candidate for implants. At this appointment, the clinician will also discuss your options with you and give a rough estimate of price. If you needed your tooth extracting, they could also arrange this at that appointment.
Dental implants take time. They require the bone to fully heal at each stage of treatment which can take around 3 months. If you would prefer, our clinicians can make you a temporary replacement tooth to fill the gap whilst you wait for your implant treatment to be completed.
CBCT Scan, Planning
Three months after the tooth has been extracted, we will send you for a CBCT scan, which is a 3D x-ray of your mouth. We receive a report on the scan of your mouth which allows the dentist to meticulously plan your dental implant, including where they will place it, the size of the implant they will use and whether they will need to use a bone graft (using bone minerals placed onto your own bone to act as a scaffolding for your bone to grow thicker and stronger). We will then invite you back in for a second consultation, where you will discuss the plan with the dentist. You will receive a full treatment plan and quotation at this point.
Implant treatment
Once your treatment has been planned and we have arranged your payment, we can book an appointment for your dental implant to be placed. The treatment usually takes around an hour, but you will be at the practice for around two hours. We recommend that you eat before you come, as you may feel numb after treatment.
You will be given a local anaesthetic to ensure you cannot feel anything during the treatment, and the treatment will take around one hour to complete. Dental implants are done routinely in practice, with minimal risk of complications and infection. We will provide you with a care package to take home with you, which includes ice packs, painkillers and instruction leaflets to help you if you do experience any symptoms. Our clinician may also give you a course of antibiotics.
We use Nobel Biocare who are one of the market leaders for dental implants and their components in the world, and ensure the highest quality of care.
Our Implantologist works with Dr El-Awa, a dental consultant who specialises in bone grafting for dental implants, and visits the practice to carry out complex treatment.
Three month review
After three months of healing, we will get you back into the practice for a review. The dentist will also prepare the implant to have the crown placed on top.
Impressions/ Digital Scan
We will invite you for an appointment to have impressions or digital scan taken for your final crown to be fitted. These will be sent to our colleagues at a dental laboratory in Birmingham, who make highly cosmetic crowns which look just like your natural teeth.
Crown fit
After around 3 weeks, we can make your final treatment appointment to have the implant crown fitted. The dentist may give you some local anaesthetic at this appointment to ensure you don’t feel any pain, although it should not hurt.
Final Review
Our clinician will invite you in a few weeks later for a final review to check everything is perfect with your dental implant, and to ensure you are happy with the treatment. They may also take some final pictures at this stage to compare how your teeth look before and after treatment.
Maintenance
We strongly recommend you attend regular appointments with your dentist and hygiene therapist. The dentist can check your overall oral health, ensure there are no changes to your dental implant and it is secure. Our hygiene therapists have received further training in maintaining dental implants, and can ensure your teeth and gums are kept healthy and clean. You can book these appointments directly online here.