Being able to smile, eat and chew happily is one of life’s pleasures. If you are uncomfortable or embarrassed about missing teeth, gaps or poorly fitting dentures, dental implants could be your ideal solution. 

What are Dental implants?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are inserted into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth or teeth. This procedure can be used to replace a single tooth, to help stabilize a removable denture or hold in a complete upper or lower set of teeth, as in the All-on-4 technique.

Implants are usually made out of titanium and the crown (tooth part) of the implant is generally made out of porcelain which may be reinforced with metal.

The advantages of implants are:

• They can be treated just like a tooth once completed
• Look extremely natural
• Restore the ability to eat and speak properly
• Improve your smile
• Prevent bone loss and preserve the appearance of your facial features by preventing sunken cheeks and lips
• Have a very high success rate and long term solution: 95% success after 10 years
• Replace uncomfortable dentures and adhesives 
• Protect and support adjacent teeth
• Reduce possible gum problems and infections
• Do not decay like normal teeth

Are dental implants suitable for me?

A consultation with one of our experienced dentists will determine if you are suitable for implants. During this consultation we’ll evaluate your bone and gum health and discuss your treatment options. 

To be suitable for dental implants you need to:

• Have good oral hygiene
• Have adequate bone support – this will be tested prior to commencing treatment.
• Meet general medical requirements. Some medical conditions that may affect success of implants include:
        Smoking
        Uncontrolled diabetes
        History of taking bisphosphonates
        History of radiation therapy
• Severely compromised immune system

What to expect

If you are having a tooth removed, we may be able to place an implant immediately, but in most cases we wait 10 weeks for healing. If the gap can be seen in your smile, we'll make a custom plate for you to wear until your implant is ready. 

Although it is a surgical procedure, implant placement is considered to be less invasive and far less uncomfortable than having a tooth extracted. 

• The implant procedure is done in our rooms at bc dental using injections and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for comfort. Placement of the implant usually takes approximately one hour. 
• 2 weeks later the implant will be reviewed and any stitches removed. 
• 8-12 weeks after the implant is placed, an impression will be taken and a crown (this replaces the part of the tooth above the gum) attached to the implant. That’s it!

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