For people with missing teeth, simple tasks like chewing and speaking can be a challenge. Gaps in your smile can also cause emotional distress and may prevent you from enjoying social occasions and interacting at work. While there are several effective tooth restoration options for creating a complete smile, dental implants are the only choice for a permanent, fully functioning, natural tooth.
Dental implant surgery is a common procedure that many patients with missing or damaged teeth choose to undergo. Unlike some other tooth replacement options, dental implants also referred to as tooth implants, are fixed directly into the jawbone, which creates a strong foundation for the artificial tooth.
Who is Suited to Dental Implants?
Dental implant surgery is a fantastic long-term solution for many people with missing or damaged teeth. They look and feel like natural teeth and do not affect the surrounding teeth, as a bridge does.
However, not everyone is a suitable candidate for the procedure. Patients with advanced gum disease or those with an underlying health condition that affects bone healing are usually not recommended for this treatment, but always consult with your dentist to determine if you are a candidate.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium post shaped like a screw. Titanium is the ideal material for dental implants, due to its biocompatible nature. An implant is inserted into the jawbone during the dental implant surgery procedure, which fuses to the metal.
An artificial tooth, which has been made to perfectly match with the colour, shape, and size of the surrounding teeth, is then fitted to the embedded implant. A structure called an abutment, typically made from titanium, zirconia, or gold, connects the implant to the crown.
The Dental Implant Surgery Procedure Explained
The process of getting dental implants takes several months and numerous visits to your dentist to ensure the best results.
Initial Consultation For Dental Implants
Before you and your No Gaps Dental dentist decide that dental implant surgery is the right solution for you, they thoroughly examine your teeth and gums, ensuring you are a good candidate for dental implants.
As part of this consultation, your dentist will take X-rays or 3D images of the potential implant site to determine the quality and density of the bone tissue. At No Gaps Dental, we offer intra- and extra-oral X-rays in addition to digital dental X-rays.
Your dentist uses the findings of this examination to prepare your customised treatment plan. This consultation is also an excellent opportunity to ask any questions about the dental implant surgery procedure and living with dental implants.
Pre-Dental Implant Tooth Extraction
If you are having a tooth implant fitted to replace a damaged tooth, rather than a missing one, your dentist’s first step is to extract the tooth. The root socket needs time to heal before the implant is inserted.
The length of time you will have to wait for your dental implant surgery depends on your individual healing timeline. People with large root sockets or those with severe infections may take longer to heal.
Fitting the Dental Implant
Your dentist exposes the jawbone by making a discreet incision in the gum tissue to fit the dental implant. They will then drill a small hole into the bone and screw the implant into place. Once the implant has been fitted, you must wait several months for the bone to fuse with it before the next stage of treatment. However, the dentist can fit a temporary denture, so you aren’t left with a gap.
At No Gaps Dental, we are sensitive to the fact that some people, especially those that suffer from anxiety related to dental treatment, are nervous about this stage of the dental implant surgery procedure, and we do everything we can to make you as comfortable as possible during your time with us. In addition to local anaesthesia, IV sedation can be used during the procedure.
After their dental implants are fitted, some patients experience tenderness or minor swelling; however, this passes quickly and can be managed using ice packs and over-the-counter medication.
Fitting the Abutment
After the bone has fused to the implant, the abutment is fitted in preparation for the artificial tooth. One your gum heals the dentist makes an impression of the area which will be sent to the lab to fabricate your new tooth.
Fitting the Artificial Tooth
Once the crown is ready, it will be securely fitted to the abutment, and you will leave the surgery with a natural-looking tooth that will ideally last a lifetime. We also offer affordable same-day CEREC crowns. Using our cutting edge digital scanning and CAD/CAM technology, we can create custom artificial crowns that can be fitted in a single session.
Why Choose No Gaps Dental for Your Dental Implants?
At No Gaps Dental, we believe there is ‘no one size fits all’ solution to dental issues, so our care is personalised for each patient. Our team of over 40 experienced dentists has successfully fitted dental implants for many years and ensured that our patients have a positive experience.
Hygiene and infection control has always been a top priority for everyone working in our practices, and this has only magnified since the outbreak of COVID-19.
In addition to our stringent procedures such as equipment sterilisation using state-of-the-art sterilising equipment, we have implemented strict hygiene measures such as social distancing, providing hand sanitiser, taking the temperature of anyone who enters the clinic, and screening all patients using the COVID-19 clearance form.
We have introduced more extensive cleaning practices across the clinic and for the staff, including more frequently cleaning hands with hand sanitiser.
Your safety is our number one priority here at No Gaps Dental. We ask that you help us maintain a safe environment by not attending an appointment if you have COVID symptoms or are awaiting test results, keeping a safe distance between other patients and regularly using hand sanitiser.
Final Thoughts
If you are concerned about a damaged tooth or feel that dental implants may be a good fit for you, contact our experienced team at No Gaps Dental. Our experienced dentists offer high-quality dental treatment every time, while our payment plans ensure dental implants are available to all our patients.
For more information or to arrange a consultation at a No Gaps Dental clinic near you, call us today on (02) 8806 0227.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.