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"Missing teeth? A dental implant can be a great replacement."
They can look and feel just like a normal tooth but they need extra love and attention to make sure they last.
DENTAL IMPLANTS
Accepting missing teeth is a thing of the past now. Dental implants are a reliable and effective way of giving you your smile and function back. A dental implant consists of a titanium cylinder being placed in the bone where a tooth is missing and a new crown or bridge being attached to the titanium. Our results speak for themselves.
We have implant dentist on site full time to help deal with any problems that occur. We often see many patients who go see a part time visiting surgeon or go abroad for work and then if there are issues there is no one there to look after them (they often then wish they came to just see us in the first place).
We cannot stress the importance of visiting a clinic that will actually look after you in the long term... you cannot put a price on peace of mind.
WHY HAVE IMPLANTS WITH US?
1) Well over 15 years worth of experience in placing and restoring thousands of simple to complex dental implant cases.
2) We only use the best most well known scientifically backed implant systems from Germany (Dentsply Ankylos & Astra EV).
3) LIFETIME* custom titanium abutment guarantee with new customised super strong white metal implant crowns.
4) 3D CT scanner, sinus lifting, grafting and all surgery done at our clinic so no need to travel elsewhere for your treatment.
5) All procedures performed painlessly under local anaesthetic. Sedation can be arranged (subject to availability).
6) All cases are digitally scanned and planned so no more messy impressions and improved accuracy.
7) Finance and payment plans available on request and subject to terms and conditions.
8) All implant placements are surgically precision CT guided to ensure the best and most accurate placement.
9) We can perform soft tissue gum grafting and bone grafting where this has been lost from infection or trauma.
10) Our hygiene team are trained in helping you look after your implant so that you can keep it for many years to come.
How long does the average process take? What does it involve?
You will attend for a consultation initially, where you will be assessed if an implant is the ideal option for you. It is important to discuss the costs, benefits and risks of all potential options beforehand.
If deemed appropriate, we will then take a 3D CT scan of the bone to assess the quality for implant placement and if any grafting will be required.
We also take an intra oral digital scan and photographs and discuss our consent process with you. From this a custom 3D placement surgical guide and models will be created to ensure we place the implant in exactly the right position to ensure the best possible crown position and long term outcome.
You will then attend for placement of an implant (1-3hr appointment). Please ensure you have something to eat before attending. It is also advisable to have painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen handy after surgery to ease recovery. We normally say the area will be tender for 1-7days. You may have a temporary gum healing cap screwed in poking through the gum - this does not hurt but just merely there to help the gum heal. There will be some non-dissolvable stitches placed that are finer than hair to close the gum over in the area.
One week after implant placement we will remove the sutures and check your healing is ok.
A minimum of 11 weeks later we will bring you for a final scan/impression of your future final implant crown (if deemed appropriate).
Two weeks later we will fit your final crown and give you instructions on cleaning and wear.
We then advise a review every year with our implant dentist to take an x-ray to make sure the implant is doing well.
Can I pay in instalments? How long does the process take?
Yes of course you can. Many patients pay as they go along or chose to seek their own finance - either way just discuss what you would like to do. Realistically the process from start to finish can take anywhere from 3-12 months depending on complexity - we tend not to rush these things as a lot of time frames are dependant on your own healing (which varies from person to person).
Is it painful?
The placement of the implant is not painful as it is all done under local anaesthetic. Afterwards you can be swollen and tender, we normally advise to take painkillers for a few days until the swelling settles. The majority of our patients feel fine and have no issues but we warn everybody the same every time. We normally tell people that it is normally no where near as sore as having a tooth removed. There is no reason why one cannot drive home and work after the procedure.
How long do implants last?
The truth is that there is no exact figure. We aim for around 10-15 years. Some can last much longer and some can last less. They have a very high success rate but there is always a risk the implant does not integrate with your bone, is rejected by your body or becomes infected. The reality is that every case is different and must be judged accordingly.
The main factors involved in success and failure are:
- If you are a smoker you are at a higher risk of losing the implant.
- If you have a reduced immune response such as uncontrolled diabetes you may have delayed healing.
- If you have been on bis-phosphonates for a long time due to osteoporosis this may affect the way your bone heals.
- If you have had an implant or artificial hip/joint that has been successful before this normally indicates a chance of success.
- We strongly advise you start Vitamin D supplements (potentially full blood cultures) and look at your diet (consider probiotics).
Our titanium abutments come with a lifetime guarantee and our dental implant crowns can have extended warrantees of unto 10 years (subject to individual cases and terms and conditions).
What do you do if an implant fails?
Our dental implant integration success rate with dental implants is very high at last assessment it was 97.9%*. We do have failures and any implant dentist that says they do not have any, is most likely not placing enough. We take on more complex and referred cases therefore with the more complex cases it carries a higher risk which affects are audit numbers. So we always take peoples quoted implant success rates with a pinch of salt because you do not know what they define as a success - is it one day? one month? one year? does it take into account bone loss over time? crown fractures? rejection of the implant? the list goes on. Nonetheless we always analyse and critique our own failures and successes to see how we can consistently improve. Even after placing so many implants for so many years (well over a decade now), one cannot rest on ones laurels and must always seek to deliver their best for each and every case. You will see many dental implant clinics talk about their successes etc but very few discuss their complications while we firmly believe one should hope for the best but prepare for the possible complications, and these should all be discussed with every patient.
We need to understand the reason why certain cases do not go as we wished... sometimes it is due to multiple factors.
Our options include:
- We will either clean the site and re-try a new implant placement after a period of healing.
- We may just clean the site and graft to protect the implant.
- We may remove the implant and just leave a space or replace with a new bridge or denture.
We can guarantee our titanium implants up to 5 years if you wish to have our extended warranty plan subject to terms and conditions and 6 months reviews and hygiene sessions.
Why can't you just do the implant first and sort the other teeth out later?
When we assess you, we have to make sure your safety is the most important factor. Therefore if you have infections or fractures or gum disease elsewhere in your mouth then these need to be addressed first, as if they are left they could jeopardise the implant. We may refer you back to your dentist to deal with these issues first before we can carry out treatment.
Are dental implants expensive?
We normally say how much would you pay if you replace a lost finger with something that looks and functions similarly? We charge on what we feel is appropriate given the level of expertise, technology and customer service we provide. There will always be people cheaper than us and more expensive. We as clinicians want to provide the best possible result, the best materials and the best experience and the reality is that this all comes at a price. We do not price match other clinics and never will as we believe we provide a level of care that is incomparable. If you are solely basing you decision on finding the lowest price implant, then we are not the clinic for you, but if you believe in paying for quality, service and long term aftercare then we can help.
Does it affect me swimming, exercising, playing an instrument or being intimate with my partner?
Not that we are aware of but do expect some swelling, bruising, numbness and tenderness around the area for 1-2 weeks post surgery.
What is the graft made of? How long is the grafting/implant procedure? What is the post operative advise?
We use a material called ethoss (no human or animal tissue used just tri/calcium phosphate). Implant and grafting procedures take around 60-90 minutes on average - sometimes less, sometimes more depending on complexity.
For post operative symptoms and complications please scroll to the bottom of this page and you will see a word document for post surgery advice sheet. We would advise paracetamol and ibuprofen or whatever your normal analgesic protocol is. Normally you will have non-dissolvable stitches they may rub around the area and be removed 1 week later. Do not worry if you should lose some during your healing period. We advise to be gentle around the area and use warm salty mouth rinses to keep the site clean.
Do I need to have it done under sedation?
We normally perform it while you're awake under local anaesthetic so you do not feel anything during the procedure and recover quickly. The surgery on average takes around 1hr for most cases. In full mouth complex same day smile cases sedation can be arranged (subject to availability).
I have an issue with an existing dental implant can you help?
The short answer is yes. The reality is that we are seeing more and more implant issues from all over the world and dealing with complex cases is all apart of the job. Sometimes people say that their implant is loose but that may just mean that the crown attached to the implant is loose. In most cases, this can either be retightened with a special screwdriver or re-cemented back in. If the actual implant screw in the bone is loose, then the whole implant fixture may need to be removed. The site can either be left without an implant or bone granules added and another implant attempted.
It is always helpful to know what brand of implant you have and the diameter of the screw placed, because if there is an emergency you may not be able to see your own dentist and will need to see someone else. As we deal with a lot of complex cases we have special screwdrivers for all major implant providers such as Dentsply, Straumann, Nobel BioCare and Megagen. If the implant needs removal we have a NeoTech implant removal system that removes the failing implant a bit like a cork from a bottle (see video at bottom of patient for one of our cases). So no matter the problem you can relax knowing you will be looked after at TAHA Dental Excellence. So n
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Case Study - Fractured & Infected Tooth
***WARNING THE FOLLOWING CASE SHOWS IMAGES OF A GRAPHICAL NATURE TO FULLY EXPLAIN WHAT IS INVOLVED IN SURGERY***
Andrew attended with painful and infected upper premolar tooth. Andrew told us he had the tooth restored many years ago but recently had started to cause him pain. On examination we found the tooth had a vertical fracture and needed to be removed.
Image One: Shows the infected upper premolar tooth with a vertical root fracture associated with a large metal post crown.
Image Two: Shows the level of bone missing caused by the infection and the removed tooth.
Image Three: Shows the level of bone missing caused by the infection and the removed tooth in cross section. We have a 3D Cone Beam Scanner on site at TAHA Dental Excellence.
Image Four: Shows residual infection remaining and bone loss in the area.
Image Five: Shows the site after cleaning out infection.
Image Six: Shows the site after bone grafting carried out.
Image Seven: Shows the site after 12 weeks of bone regeneration.
Image Eight: Shows the X-ray after bone grafting.
Image Nine: Shows the X-ray after 12 weeks of healing.
Image Ten: Shows CT surgically guided implant placement.
Image Eleven: Shows screw retained crowned with no gaps. We always leave the implant 12 weeks before loading the final crown to ensure the bone and implant integrate.
Image Twelve: Shows beautiful healing of gum around implant.
Image Thirteen: Shows beautiful new implant crown.
Image Fourteen: Shows x-ray summary
Image fifteen: Shows x-ray of implant seven years later showing fantastic bone stability.
"I felt in safe hands with Dr Thomas the whole time and could not be happier with the result."
Mr Andrew Reeves Horton
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