You will be invited to an initial consultation where you can discuss your bespoke treatment plan with your dentist. We treat each patient’s case individually and know that everyone’s needs differ. Your treatment and appointments will be designed to fit in with your schedule and desires as much as possible.
The components of dental implants explained:
- Implant – the Implant is the part that acts as a substitute for your gum, NOT the tooth-like part that goes on top.
- Abutment – this is used to fix the implant and the restoration (the tooth-like part) together.
- Restoration – This is a synonym for a crown or denture, or whatever you choose to be your ‘tooth’.
- Crown – a tooth-shaped cap that is used to cover the implant – a type of restoration.
- Denture – removable replacement for teeth that are missing – a type of restoration for implants.
- Your implantologist here at Paul Lowe will administer a local anaesthetic to numb the area so that the procedure is pain-free.
- Once the area is numb, the implantologist will make a small incision in your gum so that the implant can be placed. Following this some special drills will be used to make a hole for the implant and this titanium post will be screwed into the bone.
- The implant will need time to fuse with the bone – essentially to become a part of your body! The rejection rate is very low with implants.
- Once the implant has fused, the restoration can be placed on top.
- In some cases a screw is placed instead of a healing abutment, covered completely by the gum during the healing phase. This is otherwise known as two-stage implant surgery and occurs when a bone graft has been performed (see below).
Am I eligible for dental implants?
- In some cases, certain patients do not have sufficient bone strength to undergo treatment for dental implants. When this occurs, patients can undergo bone grafting
Caring for your implant
- You can care for your implant in the same way that you might care for natural teeth. As they are the next best thing to a natural tooth, they should be looked after in an organise way. That is, brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each time, attending regular check-ups with your dentsit and dental hygeinst. Use mouthwash that contains fluoride as this helps wash away bacteria that clings in your mouth and teeth.
Paul Lowe attained his Masters degree in dental implantology from the University of Sheffield in 2005. He is recognised as a registered specialist in oral surgery by the General Dental Councils and is a member of numerous professional bodies including the Association of Dental Implantology and the British Dental Association
To find out more about Dental Implants contact us on 0121 711 2424 to make an appointment with Paul Lowe.