A Typical Dental Implant Process

2 minute read

Losing teeth can affect more than just your smile. Missing teeth may impact the way you chew, speak, and feel about your appearance. While dentures can help replace missing teeth, some patients find they do not fully restore the comfort or chewing ability they previously experienced with natural teeth.

Dental implants are designed to replace missing tooth roots and support replacement teeth. Unlike removable dentures or traditional bridges, dental implants are placed into the jaw bone, where they may help provide support and stability for replacement teeth.

When we chew, natural tooth roots help stimulate the jaw bone. This stimulation signals the body to maintain bone strength and density. Without this stimulation, the jaw bone may gradually shrink over time — a process known as bone resorption. (1)

Dental implant treatment is a significant investment in your oral health and generally involves a longer treatment process compared to some other tooth replacement options. However, advances in modern implant dentistry have improved the safety, planning, and predictability of treatment outcomes for suitable candidates.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

Whether you are missing one tooth, several teeth, or all of your teeth, Perth Dental Implant Centre offers a range of dental implant treatment options tailored to individual needs, goals, and budgets. Dental implants may be used to support:

• A single replacement tooth
• A small fixed bridge
• Full-arch teeth replacement, including All-on-4® treatment

There are several potential benefits and considerations associated with dental implant treatment.

Improved stability for eating and speaking

Dental implants are designed to support replacement teeth in a stable and secure manner. Many patients report improved comfort when chewing and speaking compared to removable dentures.

By improving chewing function, dental implants may also help patients enjoy a wider variety of foods and maintain a balanced diet.

Supporting jaw bone and facial structure

Because dental implants are placed into the jaw bone, they may help stimulate the bone during chewing in a similar way to natural tooth roots.

Maintaining jaw bone volume can help support the muscles and soft tissues of the face. Bone loss associated with missing teeth may contribute to changes in facial appearance over time, including a more hollowed or sunken appearance.

Long-Term Tooth Replacement Option

Dental implants have been used in dentistry for over half a century and have been widely researched. Studies have shown a long-term success rate in healthy, non-smoking patients between 95% and 98% over a 30 year period (2). With expert placement and ongoing proper care and regular professional visits, dental implants can last a very long time.

Protect neighbouring teeth

Unlike some traditional dental bridges, dental implants do not usually require neighbouring teeth to be filed down for support. This may help preserve the structure of surrounding natural teeth.

The Goal of Implant Placement

Every patient has different treatment needs. The dental implant process may vary depending on factors such as bone volume, gum health, medical history, and the type of restoration being planned.

Some patients may require longer implants or additional procedures, such as bone grafting, to help create adequate support for dental implants. In other situations, treatment may involve staged healing periods before the final tooth or bridge can be fitted.

The overall goal of implant treatment is to achieve healthy integration between the dental implant and the surrounding jaw bone.

Am I Suitable for Dental Implants?

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Suitability for dental implants can only be determined following a comprehensive dental and medical assessment.

During your consultation, your dentist will review your medical history, medications, oral health, and any factors that may affect healing or treatment outcomes. Your teeth, gums, and soft tissues will also be carefully examined.

A 3D CBCT bone scan is needed to assess the available jaw bone and assist with treatment planning. This scan allows the dental team to evaluate important anatomical structures, including nerves, sinuses, and surrounding teeth.

Dental implant surgery is commonly performed under local anaesthetic. Depending on the complexity of treatment and individual patient needs, IV sedation or general anaesthesia may also be discussed during your consultation.

A Typical Dental Implant Process

Every treatment plan is different, however, a single dental implant procedure commonly involves the following stages:

1. Consultation & 3D planning– Discuss your treatment goals and process, have diagnostic scans taken and your treatment plan presented.
2. Precision implant placement– We carefully places the dental implant into the jaw bone. If you’re having a tooth removed, this may be done prior to surgery or at the same time. Some patients may also require bone grafting procedures to help support implant placement.
3. Healing & integration - Your implant naturally bonds with your jawbone, creating a secure and durable foundation for your new tooth.
4. Custom crown design– Several months after your implant has successfully integrated with the jaw bone, we take new impressions for your tooth to be designed by the dental technician.
5. Final fit and smile reveal – We carefully fit and shade-match your custom-crafted crown for seamless functionality and aesthetics.
6. Ongoing care & maintenance – We monitor your implant with regular reviews and provide professional maintenance to protect your long-term results.

The above dental implant process details a typical sequence of steps, however, there is no one size fits all approach, and what’s suitable for your needs will depend on a range of factors that determine treatment success.

Book a free consultation

Book a free consultation with Perth Dental Implant Centre and we’ll work with you to determine the most suitable treatment plan for your needs.

The cost of a single dental implant starts from $4641. We’re transparent about prices and can explain each treatment process and what results you can expect. We also offer a range of flexible payment plans to help you access treatment sooner.

Want to to learn more about dental implants? Call 1300 108 133 to book an appointment or ask our team a question directly.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4633481/
2. Malo P, de Araújo Nobre M, Lopes A, Moss SM, Molina GJ. A longitudinal study of the survival of All-on-4® implants in the mandible with up to 10 years of follow-up. J Am Dent Assoc 2011;142:310-204

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.