Bridge Road Dental Practice

SERVICES

		DENTAL IMPLANTS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS • What is a dental Implant? • How long will I wait for my new teeth? • Is having an implant painful? • Will it be painful afterwards? • How long will my implants last? • Is everyone suitable for a dental implant? • How many implants will I need? • What if I don't have enough bone? • How do I make an implant consultation appointment? • How much will my implants cost? • Why should I choose Dr Reg Coetzee for my implant placements?

		What is a Dental Implant? A modern dental implant is a titanium cylinder, which can be embedded in the jawbone. Over time, the surrounding bone locks into the implants surface to create a joint with the surrounding bone – a principal known as Osseo integration. As a result, a connecting piece to the implant can be screwed and locked into place to create an access above the gum level, the abutment. It is onto this abutment a single tooth (or crown) or multiple teeth (a bridge or over denture) can be attached.
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		How long will I wait for my new teeth? The process of locking an implant into the bone varies according to the bone density, the length and shape of the implant and the position of the implant in the mouth. For instance, in the lower front jaw where the bone is very dense, the implant can be loaded on the same day – “teeth by lunchtime”. Healing times are being reduced with the newer “surfaced” implants. In the upper jaw we would probably wait two to six months, and in the lower jaw up to three months. In addition, single teeth can be placed into the sockets of extracted teeth and, provided the implant is stable, the patient can leave with a temporary crown fitted to the implant.
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		Is having an Implant painful? Whilst the placement of an implant is a surgical procedure, every effort is made to ensure minimal discomfort for the patient. To achieve this, copious amounts of local anaesthetic are used. Additional sedative techniques, such as a pre-medicated drink or intravenous sedation are used to reduce levels of apprehension. The procedure does not take long – from 30 minutes for a single implant to one/two hours for multiple placements.
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		Will it be painful afterwards? Following implant placement there may be some swelling and discomfort for two to three days. This is controlled with effective painkillers. Patients rarely experience prolonged discomfort. The oral tissues heal very rapidly, and the implants are placed at very gentle pressures, which allows for a rapid rate of healing.
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		How long will my implants last? Dental implants are not new. The first implants were done in the early 1970's in Sweden and most of the patients still have their implants today 35 years on. Years of research have proved success rates of 95% and there is no reason to suspect that will not continue. In fact the newer implant surfaces are raising the prognoses for implants in patients with softer bone, grafted bone and in patients that smoke. These were areas where traditionally the implant success rate was less predictable.
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		Is everyone suitable for a dental implant? Most patients can have a dental implant. Providing growth as stopped, age is not a factor. The older patient I have placed an implant for was 85! An examination, which assesses the general and oral health, will be required. Available bone heights and widths will be measured, assisted by x-rays and study casts. If bone widths and heights are borderline, further scanning x-rays will be taken.
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		How many implants will I need? This varies according to the size of the space involved and the number and length of implants that can be placed. A single missing tooth requires one implant and three missing teeth require two implants (a bridge). A full upper denture replacement requires five to eight implants and a lower denture is replaced with four to five implants to provide bridges.
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		What if I don't have enough bone? Patients who after examination do not have sufficient bone for the placement of an implant will be offered further enhancement techniques. Procedures included are: Guided bone regeneration – this stimulates bone to grow around a placed implant effectively covering the implant surface with newly formed bone. Bone grafting. In these situations, bone is added to the site to build out the thickness. The bone is taken from various areas inside the mouth. When a high volume of bone is required a hip graft can be performed. Whilst these procedures prolong the treatment time, the final functional outcome for patients is very rewarding.
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		How do I make an Implant consultation appointment? Contact the practice on 020 83971688/83914055 and the reception will make an appointment for you.
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		How much will my implant cost? An initial consultation will be £85. This includes the necessary initial x-rays for bone measurement and written treatment plan. Additional diagnostics such as a CT scan, direct bone measurements and study models may also be required. The types of fees a patient may pay are as follows: Single implant with crown from £1880.00 Three tooth bridge on two implants from £4000.00 Full lower denture replacement with a fixed five implant bridge from £7500.00 Full upper denture replacement with a fixed six implant bridge from £10500.00 Two implant retained overdenture from £3000.00
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		Why should I choose Dr Reg Coetzee for my implant placements? Reg Coetzee has placed and restored more than 500 dental implants over the last 8 years. This level of experience can reassure his patients that they will receive a high level of implant care. Reg has attended a vast amount of postgraduate educational courses both throughout Europe and America , studying with leading implantologists. Reg is a member of: Association of Dental Implantologists (ADI) International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI) British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD)
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		View Implant Surgery Picture 1 and Picture 2

Contact Us
Bridge Road Dental Practice
14 Bridge Road
Chessington
Surrey
KT9 2EP

Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 20 839 71688
Tel: +44 (0) 20 839 14055

DENTAL IMPLANTS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS