Frequently Asked Questions

When we are replacing missing teeth in the back of the upper jaw we may find that the sinus (the natural hole in the upper jaw) has expanded as the teeth have been lost. Consequently, the height of bone available is insufficient to place an implant(s). We can address this by lifting the lining in the floor of the hole so as to create space to place a graft. This can take between 6-12 months to regrow the lost bone. If there is about 3-4mm of bone height available then with current techniques it is possible to lift the sinus at the same time as placing the implant. Another option is to use very short implants which avoids the need to lift the sinus. However, a 6mm implant is the minimum length which has been shown to predictably work.

The mouth is full of bacteria and consequently we commonly prescribe antibiotics to mitigate the risk against infection.

Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (provided you are not asthmatic) are effective. Paractomol is also commonly used.

By following a strict regime of a soft diet; anything that you can squish easily between your fingers is acceptable. It is sensible to avoid eating on the surgical site. Brushing on the side of the surgery and mouth rinsing should be avoided as this risks dislodging the stitches. For the first two days it is advisable to stick to a cold diet to minimise bruising.

If you suffer illnesses that require immunosuppressant drugs, long term steroids, intravenous bisphosphonates then you have a higher risk of implant failure. Relative risks are also smokers, diabetes, gum disease and bleeding disorders.

The procedures are provided under local anaesthetic to ensure you are comfortable. We put great emphasis on gentle touch dentistry to ensure that you have positive experiences with predictable healing. Following the treatment most people report uneventful healing. Whilst others might experience bruising, swelling and discomfort. This is very much dependent on the individual person’s pain threshold, their tendency to bruise and the extent of the procedure that has to be provided to address the issues. The majority of times this can be managed by normal headache painkillers.

Just like everything in life experience is important. You may want to know how long the surgeon has been placing implants; what their success rate is; can you speak with one of their clients who has undergone a similar treatment to discuss their experience; what do their clients say about them.

Graft bone is usually derived from another source. The graft bone options are human, cow, pig or artificial. Depending on the size of the defect the graft bone may be mixed with small scraping of your jaw bone to feed it with your hormones. This mixture is placed at the bone defect site and is then covered with a membrane which allows the bone to regenerate without disturbance from the skin or outside. If it is a large defect then a titanium or gortex reinforced membrane may be required to provide the support to help the mixture maintain its shape whilst it converts into your bone.

This is dependent on the extent of treatment that is required. If all the bone is present then it will take between 3-4 months to have the tooth back depending on the position of the missing tooth. For zirconia implants, we use a special device which measures how strongly the bone has connected with the implant. This allows us to determine when we can put pressure on the bone with a tooth on top. If you have bone missing at the site where you want an implant, you will need to consider a bone grafting procedure. This may add between 4 -12 months bone regeneration time to the procedure.

Zirconia implants have the major benefit that all the materials used are completely metal free. This even includes the instruments that are used to prepare your jaw so that the implants can be placed. Zirconia implants have been around for over ten years and many thousands are placed every year. It is extremely rare to have an allergy to this material as it is completely. You can be tested for metal allergy if you are considering zirconia as an option.