Discover the possible procedures required before placing dental implants if you’ve been living with missing teeth for some time.
Don't risk dental implant failure
If you’re interested in dental implants, you might already know if you’ve had a consultation that to qualify for treatment, you’ll require an adequate amount of bone in your jaw and healthy gums. Without strong oral health and bone density, the likelihood of your conventional implant failing increases. On average, dental implants have a 90% success rate, and for us, here at The Perfect Smile, to maintain our 98.3% average, we need to make sure your mouth is a healthy environment for the implant to thrive.
Been told No? Is it time for a second opinion
To provide our patients with successful implants, performing particular pre-implant surgeries to maximise bone support is sometimes necessary.
Standard procedures to make this happen are often socket preservation, bone regeneration and sinus augmentation, which we will explain in detail below.
But have you been told you’re not suitable for implants before by your current dentist? Or have you been quoted a worrying cost? Maybe it’s time for a second opinion with one of our prosthetic experts.
Patients with missing teeth almost always experience some bone loss in their jaw, especially when teeth have been missing for some time. And the jawbone does not regrow.
When teeth have been missing for an extended period, the bone goes through changes that cause it to shrink in on itself, and as we would need to screw the implant into the jawbone, it is crucial for there to be sufficient bone in place.
Bone regeneration is a technique that uses bone graft materials and membranes to bulk up the bony ridge to make it strong enough to support an implant.
Bone grafting is when the bone is surgically “implanted” into the site that requires the implant. We usually use either bovine bone or the patient’s bone (taken from the back of the jawbone) or a combination of both.
We perform this procedure under a local anaesthetic. Dr Miriam Molins has a masters qualification in Bio-Materials and fully understands the use of these materials in bone integration processes.
A sinus lift will create more room in the upper arch for a bone graft to be placed. Often, bone grafts, sinus lifts and implant placements can all be done simultaneously. Please note that this will be dependent on your case.
When the back upper premolar and molar teeth are lost, there can be considerable resorption. This is especially true if there have been teeth missing for some time.
Sinus lifts are completed by opening a window to the sinus or through the same site used for the implant. This procedure will add bone between the jaw and maxillary sinuses (the molars and premolars) area. This helps make room for our dentists to position bone in the graft. But to make room for the new bone, the sinus membrane is required to be lifted.
Sinus lifts are usually followed by a bone graft, allowing the new implant to be placed securely.
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Tooth Extraction & Ridge Preservation
Sometimes, your teeth need to be removed beforehand, and then the bone is allowed to heal before reassessing for dental implant treatment. This may take a few months. More.
When a tooth is extracted, the surrounding bone usually resorbs since it is now no longer functional. As the resorption process can occur over a few months, it is essential to wait for this to have occurred to make a more precise assessment of the quantity and quality of the remaining bone. Identifying the most appropriate implant system for your condition is essential.
Preserving the ridge
If you have had a tooth extraction, it often leaves behind a hole or a socket. There are situations where an implant can be placed directly into this socket.
However, if too much bone has deteriorated, the socket must be rebuilt or filled.
The procedures involved are bone grafts and membranes to prepare the site for stable implantation.
Orthodontic Treatments
In some instances, the patient may require adult orthodontic treatment to move the teeth in a way that creates the required space for the dental implant.
This can be when a tooth was missing, but later, other teeth invaded the area, making the space un-restorable.
Braces can then be used to re-create the space before an implant replaces the missing tooth.
Orthodontic treatment properly aligns the teeth so that the implant treatment of missing teeth becomes cosmetically more probable.
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Free Consulations
Contact us for any questions, requests and further information; or to arrange a FREE Initial Consultation.
Our free no obligation Initial Consultation will be with our dentist and/or our Treatment Coordinators. The suitability of options discussed will ultimately be dependent upon your clinical assessment with a dentist at the practice.
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Highly Experienced Implant Team
An unparalleled level of patient trust: Dr Rahul Doshi is the founder of the Perfect Smile and is the current President of the BACD.
With over 25 years of dental implant experience, Dr Rahul Doshi proudly leads a highly skilled team with access to the latest dental technology.
