A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically placed into the jaw bone to provide support for bridges, crowns or dentures.
Here at Rejuvadent we use the world’s best dental implants. Our implantologist is highly experienced at placing dental implants and the procedure is usually painless, we offer a wide variety of dental implants and mini-dental implants suited to individual cases.

Are dental implants safe and how long will they last?
Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. 95 per cent of modern implants should last for many years with the right care.

I have some of my own teeth, can I still have implants?
Yes. You can have any number of teeth replaced with implants – from one single tooth to a complete set.

Can implants always be used to replace a missing tooth?
It depends on the state of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will arrange for a number of special tests to assess the amount of bone still there. If there is not enough, or if it isn’t healthy enough, it may not be possible to place implants without grafting bone into the area first.

Do Implants hurt?
Placing the implants requires a small operation. This can be done using a simple local anaesthetic, and sometimes with sedation if you are very nervous. Sometimes the dentist needs to use a general anaesthetic for complex cases. You will not feel any pain at the time, but you may feel some discomfort during the week after the surgery. This is usually due to having stitches, and the normal healing process.

How long does the treatment take?
Your dentist will be able to give you a rough timetable before the treatment starts. Usually the permanent teeth are fitted 6 to 9 months after the implants are put in, but many implant systems now allow the time to be as short as 3 months. Some teeth can now even be fitted at the same time as the implants (known as immediate implants) but you should check with your dentist to see whether these are suitable for you.

How soon can I have the new teeth?
The implants need to bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been put in. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper jaw.

Sometimes the implants may be stable enough when they are fitted for the artificial teeth to be attached much sooner than this.

If you are having one, two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary restoration in the meantime. If you have complete dentures, then these can be worn throughout the healing period once they have been modified after the surgery.

Are the teeth difficult to clean?
No. But after care is important if you are going to have a long-lasting, successful implant. Your dentist should give you detailed advice on how to look after your implants. Cleaning around the teeth attached to the implants is no more difficult than cleaning natural teeth. However, there may be areas that are difficult to reach and you’ll be shown methods to help you. You may need to visit your hygienist more often but your dentist will be able to talk to you about this.

Does the implant show?
Your dentist will make sure that the implants won’t show during all normal movements of the mouth and lips. You will need to be able to see them, so that you can clean them properly.

Do I have an implant for each missing tooth?
No, unless you’re only having a single tooth replaced. Normally, five or six implants are used to replace all the teeth in one jaw, as each implant can usually support two teeth. For a few missing teeth, two or three implants may be used.

What if I get hit in the face?
Implants and the teeth they support can be damaged by an accident in the same way that natural teeth can. However, if the false teeth are damaged then the remnants are left in the bone and they may be more difficult to remove than natural teeth would be. After healing, new false teeth can then be placed alongside the fragments.

What happen if the implant does not bond with the bone?
This happens very rarely. If the implant becomes loose during the healing period or just after, then it is easily removed and healing takes place in the normal way. Once the jaw has healed, another implant can be placed there. Or, the dentist can make a bridge, using the implanted false teeth that have ‘taken’.

Is the treatment expensive?
Unfortunately, yes it can be. Your Implanologist will be able to provide you with a written estimate of cost. However, over the longer term, implants are usually a more cost-effective and satisfactory option. There are advantages to it, too. An implant to replace a single tooth avoids the need to cut down the teeth either side for crowns to support a bridge. Normal dentures often mean you can’t eat or speak well, due to the dentures moving about. But teeth attached to an implant don’t cause this problem as they are anchored to the bone more firmly than natural teeth.