Implants

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is used to support one or more false teeth. It is a titanium screw that can replace the root of a tooth when it fails. Just like a tooth root, it is placed into the jawbone.

Are implants safe and how long will they last?

Implants are a safe, well-established treatment. It's probably true to say that implants, much like natural teeth, will last for as long as you care for them. How well you look after your implants - and whether you go for your regular maintenance appointments - will have the biggest impact on how long they will last.

If you don't look after your implants they will develop a coating similar to what you get on neglected natural teeth. Left untreated, this can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort. You could get all these problems with natural teeth. If your implants are well looked after, and if the bone they are fitted to is strong and healthy, you can expect them to last for many years. However, just as with other surgical implants (such as a hip replacement) there is no lifetime guarantee.

Can implants always be used to replace missing teeth?

It depends on the condition of the bone in your jaw. We will arrange for a number of special tests to find out 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.

If you have a single tooth missing, you will need an implant to support it. If you have a number of teeth missing, and these are next to each other, you could still have one implant for each tooth. Or you may find that, if you have two or more implants, they may be able to support more than one tooth each. Your dentist will talk to you about the best option for you.

Do implants hurt?

Placing an implant is often easier than taking a tooth out and is usually done using a simple local anaesthetic. You will not feel any pain at the time but, just like after an extraction, you may feel some discomfort during the week after the surgery.

How long does the treatment take?

Our Implantologist will be able to give you a rough timetable before the treatment starts. Some false teeth can now even be fitted at the same time as the implants (these are called ‘immediate implants'). We will be able to tell you whether these are suitable for you. Usually the false teeth are fitted 3 to 4 months after the implants are put in.

What about aftercare?

Our implantologist will always give you instructions on how to look after your implant. We may give you some painkillers after the surgery - or make sure you have some at home - to take over the next few days if you need them. After your implants have been placed, the bone in your jaw needs to grow onto them and fuse to them. This usually takes a few months. Sometimes the implants may be stable enough when they are placed for the false teeth to be fitted sooner than this.

If you are having one, two or three teeth replaced, you may have a temporary denture in the meantime. If you already have full dentures, you can keep wearing these while your implants are healing. Your dentures will need altering, to fit properly after the surgery, and a ‘healing cap' will usually be placed onto the implant site to protect it.

Are the implant teeth difficult to clean?

No. But aftercare is important if you are going to have a long-lasting, successful implant. Your dental team 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 how to clean them. You may need to visit your hygienist more often but your dental team will be able to talk to you about this.

Can I have gum disease with the implants?

Yes, if you don't care for them well enough. If you keep them clean and have them regularly checked by your dentist or hygienist you should not have any problems. Smoking also affects the health of implants. So, if you smoke, you may need to look after your implants more carefully. Some dentists will not place dental implants in people who are smokers.

What if I have an accident?

Implants and the teeth they support can be damaged by an accident in the same way that natural teeth can. So it is important that you wear a professionally made mouthguard if you play sports that involve contact or moving objects. However, if the titanium implant itself is damaged beyond repair, it can be safely left in the jaw if it is too difficult to remove. Another implant may be fitted alongside it to replace the damaged one.

What happens if the implant does not fuse with the bone?

This happens very rarely. If the implant becomes loose during the healing period, or just after, it is easily removed and your jaw will heal in the normal way. Once your jaw has healed, another implant can be placed there. Or the dentist can make a bridge, fitting it to the implanted false teeth that have been successful.

How much will it cost?

In many situations, the cost of the treatment is only a little more than the cost of more conventional dental treatment with crowns and bridges. Over the longer term, implants are usually a more cost-effective and satisfactory option. There are other advantages to implants, too. If you have an implant to replace a single tooth, there is no need to cut down the teeth either side of it. If you had a bridge, your dentist would need to do this and fit crowns to these teeth to support the bridge.

Normal dentures often mean that your eating and drinking are affected because the dentures may move about. But teeth attached to an implant don't cause this problem, because they are anchored to the bone more firmly than natural teeth.

Where do I get this treatment?

We now have our own experienced Oal Surgeon, Dr.Riz Syed. Dr. Riz Syed qualified in 1999 at the Royal London Hospital after which he worked in the Oral Maxillo-Facial surgical department. Following this, he worked in numerous specialist surgical practices for a number of years.

Since then he has successfully completed extensive post graduate studies in both implant and restorative dentistry and completed a masters certificate from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He has trained extensively in both America and Europe in advanced soft and hard tissue management and has completed an advanced training course in oral plastic surgery in Dallas, Texas.

He has help establish numerous referral surgeries. His practice also includes sinus grafting, surgical crown lengthening and hard and soft tissue grafting. Dr. Syed lectures both nationally and internationally on all aspects of implant dentistry including hard and soft tissue management and Nobel guide and offers further training on his one year London implant course.

He is also a visiting surgeon to numerous surgeries across the uk and has placed over a thousand implants. As a mentor for Nobel Biocare, he has helped to train many implant surgeons across the UK and is regularly consulted for treatment planning complex cases.

He is one of the lead surgeons in the uk offering immediate same day teeth (all–on–four). He is a member of the:
Association of Dental Implantology (ADI)
International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine

Implant
Implant Cleaning
Implant Maintenance
Implant Crown Options
Immediate Implant
Bone Grafting
Implant Care
All on 4