Implants

Replacing a single missing tooth is a highly conservative treatment. A single implant is very similar to your own natural tooth root, which means it is not necessary to prepare adjacent teeth (drill them down) to create a bridgework support as would be traditionally done. The implant tooth and crown restoration can be looked after just like your own natural teeth.
The implant procedure itself is often straightforward. The final implant restoration is usually made with a combination of computer-aided design and 3D manufacturing technologies, and hand finished to produce a beautiful natural looking appearance.

Groups of missing teeth can be replaced with an implant supported bridgework. For example, two implants can support a bridge replacing three - four teeth.
If your missing teeth are in an area of the mouth where the biting forces are heavy, more implants may be added and a larger bridge may be required.
Once again, treatment is highly conservative as it is not necessary to prepare teeth to support bridgework; the implant construction simply replaces the missing teeth without further compromising any remaining teeth.

These offer more stability, comfort and retention.

The gum and jawbone were never 'designed' to support dentures. Typically dentures rest upon the gums, and any remaining teeth, and for many patients, dentures will tend to adversely affect these tissues. In time, the bone losee bulk , and the gum covering the jaw becomes reduced in quality which can lead to the loss of more teeth. Inevitably as these supporting tissues are lost, the dentures become less steady and more difficult to wear. This results in irritation to the gums, the risk of the dentures slipping out, difficulty in chewing, unwanted sounds and most of all, a loss in confidence.

Dental Implants are used as a very effective method of stabilising loose or uncomfortable dentures that cause discomfort or impair speech and eating.

Placing implants to support and retain a denture will generally offer much more stability and predictability, as well as improving comfort, retention, and most importantly helping to retain the jawbone bulk.
We consider using implants to support full dentures as a minimum standard of care that we like to offer our patients. When teeth are still present, a tooth supported metal-based partial denture may be an effective way to replace a few missing teeth.
An implant supported over-denture has key advantages for some of our patients who find that they can be a little easier to maintain; for instance brushing or flossing around the implants is easier with the denture or bridge part removed. This may be important where access is really difficult; where there is massive bone loss, or when patients lack the dexterity.
With our excellent laboratories and specialist prosthodontics, we will carefully construct beautiful dentures to complement your face. This treatment can be used as a first stage to planning both the position for implant bridges and over-dentures.

In certain cases where there has been extensive infection, or missing teeth have caused the jaw to diminish, bone and gum may be added ( we refer to this as grafting or augmentation procedures) in order to provide improved fixation for the implant, or to improve the appearance. A Sinus Lift is performed when the quantity of bone separating the maxillary jaw from the sinus is too thin to anchor an implant.