Dental implants in South East London – a good form of restorative surgery?
27 / 02 / 2012
Dental implantation is the attachment of false teeth in the mouth via an implant that has been secured in the jawbone. Implants are so popular as they result in extremely secure, naturally feeling false teeth that have little or no movement in the jaw. The implant is made from a titanium rod and can be fastened into your jawbone by your local dentist in South East London. Crowns, dentures and bridges can all be attached via implants and one implant can support more than one tooth. In order to replace all the teeth in one arch of the jaw, 5 implants are often all that is needed.
Your dentist will first take X-rays and CT scans in order to better understand the layout of your jaw, they will then drill a hole in the jawbone into which your implant will be fitted. Once the implant is secured in the jaw, your false teeth can either be clipped or screwed onto the tip of the titanium rod.
Your implant may either be immediate or delayed. An immediate implant does not require a hole to be drilled, your implant will simply be secured into the socket that has been left by an extracted tooth. However, with delayed implants, extraction is performed and then the jaw is left to heal for several weeks/months. Once the tissues have been repaired, a new hole will be drilled by your dentist and it is into here that the implant will go.
Some patients may require a bone graft to prepare the jaw for implantation. If they are really not happy with the idea, they can have mini-implants instead. Mini-implants were first used as temporary implants but now are used to support smaller teeth and as they are not as long, can be used in patients who refuse a bone graft.
Swelling, pain and bleeding are all common side effects of implant surgery. Your dentist can prescribe you pain-killers if necessary but the pain should subside very shortly. Infection can occur, and when it does your implant may need to be removed and antibiotics may be prescribed. This is a very, very rare occurrence however, and should not be brought about if your dentist is truly experienced.
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