Implants
There have been many advances in dental medicine over recent years with dental implants being one of the most significant. Their strength and ability to bond naturally with your jawbone as a substitute for a missing tooth root, makes them an ideal solution for replacing missing teeth, which has led to their increasing popularity.

To maintain ideal oral and overall health, it is very important that you replace missing teeth as quickly as possible, not only to restore your appearance and self-confidence but missing teeth can lead to a loss of jawbone density, causing gum problems. This can allow your teeth on either side of the space to move out of alignment, becoming crooked and difficult to clean effectively.

Receiving a dental implant is often a three-stage process:

For your first-stage appointment, you will be referred to our highly qualified dental implant specialist who will place your implant in a simple procedure conducted under a local anaesthetic. A small incision is made in your gum-line and the implant is guided into your jawbone at a position pre-determined through x-rays and oral examinations. Many patients who receive implants often return to work and their daily routine the following day.

To provide you with a more efficient appointment, several members of our team are currently undertaking implant placement training, enabling you to receive your implant within our practice.

Following the placement of your implant it is then left for between three – six months to allow it to bond naturally with your jawbone, becoming the permanent fixture to which a crown, bridge or denture will be secured.

You may require several checkup appointments during this time to monitor your healing and radiographs may be taken to determine that your implant has bonded to your jawbone successfully.

Once your implant has bonded to your jawbone, your second-stage appointment is scheduled with one of the smile@norwest team who will uncover the head of your implant and insert a post and core. A detailed mould is taken so your replacement teeth can be created from high quality porcelain in a dental laboratory. Porcelain is used because of its strength, stain resistance and natural appearance.

Your third appointment will involve removing any temporary restorations placed while your permanent teeth were being made and securing your new crown, bridge or dentures to your implant, allowing you to regain your smile and quality of life.

It is equally important that you care for your implant and new porcelain teeth as you would your natural teeth with brushing twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and flossing once a day. Although your implant is made from medical grade titanium and replacement teeth are porcelain, your surrounding teeth and gum tissue can still develop gum disease and tooth decay.

You should continue with regular oral exams every six months and having your teeth cleaned professionally by our qualified and experienced hygienist to maintain ongoing optimal dental health, ensuring your new implant, natural teeth and gums remain in perfect condition and keep you smiling for many years.