Unlike dentures, a dental implant is a non-removable replacement for a missing tooth. It is designed to feel and function more like a natural tooth and holds the advantage of being a fixed option. It also doesn’t compromise adjacent teeth, which may be the case with a dental bridge.

Almost all dental implants in use today are made from titanium or titanium alloy, materials that have been shown over many years to be well tolerated by bone. We will then fit a porcelain crown on top of the implant so that the space is filled by a fixed and permanent prosthetic that looks just like a natural tooth. Patients with multiple missing teeth can also benefit from this fixed solution.
The procedure is usually quite straightforward and pain-free. Following an initial consultation, we create study models of your teeth to help with the planning phase of your treatment. The first stage of treatment commences with the placing of an implant, usually followed by a period of some weeks or months to allow the implant to integrate into the bone surrounding it.
Following this, the top of the implant is exposed, and a crown is fitted permanently into place. Implants can either be placed to either replace a single tooth or support a denture. This means the denture is permanently fixed into the implants, to avoid the embarrassment of poorly fitted dentures that impede talking, laughing, and eating.

The success of dental implant treatment is very high with a positive and predictable outcome being as high as 95%. Very occasionally, a dental implant may fail to integrate into the bone. Please note that we always recommend that patients who smoke stop smoking during treatment at least and permanently if at all possible.