Implants and oral surgery

Dental Implants

What is Dental Implant Therapy?

An advanced therapy available to replace missing teeth.
Dental implants are root replacements for missing teeth.
Replacement teeth are created by your dentist and placed on the foundation provided by dental implant(s).
These allow you to have the look, feel and function most like natural teeth.
These offer several important advantages compared to other treatment options for replacing missing teeth.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:

Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your teeth might slip.
Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
Improved oral health. Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving your long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
Durability. Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures in place.

Other advantages of dental implants:

Minimises oral bone loss.
Reduces compromise to adjacent healthy teeth.
Preserves natural facial contours and appearance.
Restores oral function in a manner that most closely resembles natural teeth.

What you need to know about not replacing your missing teeth with dental implant therapy.

The possible consequences of not replacing your missing teeth:

Loss of natural facial contours.
Increased facial wrinkles.
Loss of youthful appearance.
Loss of lip support.
Nose and chin are closer together.
Difficulty chewing.
Digestive problems due to the inability to chew food properly.
Wearing dentures alone may accelerate bone loss.

The possible advantages of replacing your missing teeth with dental implants:

Therapy that mimics nature.
Helps to preserve natural facial contours and aesthetics.
May minimise or reduce bone loss in areas where implants have been placed.
Facilitates proper eating and chewing.
Replacement teeth will not move, as do non-implant supported partials and dentures.
Enhances quality of life.

Replacing your single missing tooth

The disadvantages of a removable partial denture:

May move during speech or eating and may be physically and psychologically uncomfortable.
Visible metal hooks wrap around surrounding teeth to stabilise the partial denture.
Partial may look like false teeth.
The hooks may cause additional tooth loss due to mechanical forces on remaining teeth.
May accelerate bone loss, which may negatively effect the width, height and density of oral bone, creating bony defects.
May be difficult to chew or eat properly.
May require multiple ongoing dentist visits for adjustments and relines.
May need to be replaced every 3-5 years.

The possible advantages and long term benefits of a dental implant and an implant crown:

An advanced therapy available to replace a missing tooth.
A more predictable solution for a missing tooth compared to other options.
A dental implant provides a foundation for your dentist to place an implant crown (which is your replacement tooth).
A dental implant and implant crown are maintained similar to a natural tooth.
Unlike fixed bridges or removal partial dentures, this treatment option limits the compromise to your surrounding natural teeth.
Oral bone integrates with the dental implant through a natural process.
May preserve both your oral bone and gum tissue.
May preserve your natural facial appearance.

Replacing your multiple missing teeth

The possible advantages and long-term benefits of dental implants and implant crowns:

An advanced therapy available to replace missing teeth.
A more predictable solution for missing teeth compared to other options.
Dental implants provide a stable foundation for your dentist to place implant crowns (your new replacement teeth).
Dental impants and implant crowns are maintained similar to natural teeth.
Dental implants and implant crowns look, feel and function similar to natural teeth.

Oral Surgery

What Is Oral Surgery?

When you hear the words oral surgery, you may think of a hospital setting, general anaesthesia, and one or more days in recovery from this type of dental procedure; but you might be surprised to know what is actually considered oral surgery in dentistry. Many procedures done in a general dental office are considered oral surgery and patients that require such procedures are booked for the procedure without the inconvenience of being put on a waiting list for treatment.

Types of Oral Surgery

Tooth Extractions

The most recognized form of oral surgery is tooth extraction. Reasons for tooth extraction can range from:

Impacted or partially erupted wisdom teeth.
Teeth beyond repair either from tooth decay, root fracture, or trauma.
Primary teeth that have failed to fall out, preventing the eruption of permanent teeth.
Orthodontic treatment plans may require the removal of some teeth to achieve the optimum result.

Corrective Jaw Surgery

Orthognathic surgery, known as jaw surgery to most, is preformed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Common reasons for jaw surgery include:

TMJ or temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction caused by trauma or deformation.
Major or minor trauma.
Malocclusion or incorrect bite.
Clenching, or grinding of the teeth causing excessive tooth wear.
Difficulty chewing, eating, opening and closing the mouth, or talking.
Incorrect jaw position and un-proportioned facial appearance.

Your dentist will refer you to see the surgeon if he/she feels your situation will benefit from a surgical treatment option.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are becoming a common procedure to replace missing teeth, or provide stability to a new or existing denture. Preformed by a dentist or oral surgeon, the procedure for placing a dental implant may vary depending on the technique used by the dentist or surgeon, and type of implant used. Most people that have had a dental implant report the recovery was similar to that of a tooth extraction and they were able to return to normal eating within a week of the procedure.

Detection and Treatment of Diseases

Your dentist is highly skilled when it comes to detecting oral cancer, as the signs of this devastating disease typically go unnoticed and are not easily detected. If your dentist discovers something suspicious in an area of the mouth, face, neck or jaw that may have an underlying problem, a biopsy may be preformed to further diagnose a possible condition. A biopsy is usually a surgical procedure that is used to remove a piece of tissue in an area of the body that is suspected as being diseased. You may be referred to an oral surgeon for the biopsy, but in some cases this procedure may be performed by your general dentist. Oral surgery is commonly used to treat oral cancer, and may be used as a combination treatment with radiation therapy.