Dental Implants

Our specialist periodontist will first get to know you and understand your concerns and expectations. He will then perform a detailed assessment and examination. He will need to take focused and current xray(s) to better plan. He will then discuss with you about the techniques of proposed treatments and costs. You are able to ask him the doubts and questions you might have. We spend over an hour on these visits.

We usually wait until you have passed adolescence before placing a dental implant in your jaw. We also determined that you are medical healthy or well controlled if you have a medical condition. Your periodontal condition will need to be excellent as there is strong evidence to suggest that you will have a 64x risk of peri-implantitis (inflammation around a dental implant) if your periodontal condition is actively destructive. Smoking also poses a great risk to healing and the longevity of the implant(s).

Dental implants are placed into a part of the jaw where the tooth/ teeth has been lost. It is placed in a surgical process and allowed to osseointegrate in the bone for 2-3 months. After this, an implant crown or prosthesis is fabricated and placed on the implant.

Immediate implant placement indicates the process where a dental implant is placed immediately after tooth removal. It is then allowed to osseointegrate for 2-5 months. This cannot be done in every scenario. Immediate loading indicates the process where a final crown is placed immediately on the implant after it has been placed. This is particularly helpful for teeth in the front of the mouth (aesthetic zone). The conditions have to be right for these to be done optimally so each case is chosen carefully.

Full-arch dental implant therapy is when all teeth in a jaw are replaced with 4, 6 or more dental implants-supported bridges. It is usually done after careful digital planning and involves a period where you will be wearing a provisional bridge while waiting for good osseointegration between the implants and the jawbone.

We place good topical anaesthetic gel before giving the local anaesthesia and are consciously gentle throughout. There will still be a small “pinch” while local anaesthesia is placed but once the anaesthesia has started working, the procedures should be relatively pain-free. The experience differs from person to person but our specialists and dentists will advise you prior and are conscious of any changes or cues you give during the procedure. Post-operatively, you might experience a down-time (pain and swelling) for 3-5 days. Pain is usually well controlled with the painkillers and anti-inflammatories we prescribe after.

In a straightforward scenario, you probably need to come for 4 visits over a 3-month interval. The number of visits and timeline increases with the complexity of the treatment provided. It is very crucial to note that good supportive care or implant maintenance therapy (IMT) is crucial for long-term maintenance of peri-implant health. These are usually 4-6 months' recall visits for checking and cleaning.

The dental implant can last for many years when good oral hygiene and professional care is maintained. The implant crown undergoes wear and tear like the other teeth in your mouth and might need repair or replacement later in life. There are certain conditions and habits which will pose a high risk to longevity compromise and will be forewarned to you by our specialist periodontist.

The first 24 hours involve care to prevent over-bleeding. We advise that you avoid hot food and drinks, rigorous rinsing and gargling, straws and sucking actions for the first 24 hours to prevent over-bleeding or reactivation of bleeding. You will need to be on a soft diet, avoid strenuous exercises for the next 3-7 days. We also recommend that you complete the dose of anti-inflammatories, antibiotics (when necessary) and antiseptics which we prescribe. You will need to resist the urge of touching the surgical site with your tongue, finger or any other objects during the healing period.