Titanium implants have been around for a long time and many millions are placed every year. This is not to say that you cannot have an allergy or reaction to them. Titanium compounds are ubiquitous in many products such as cosmetics, toothpaste, milk, sunscreen, food preservatives. Constant contact to these can increase the risk of allergic-type reactions. Another thing to consider is the purity of the titanium implant - many of the cheaper implants are composed of titanium, aluminium and vanadium. Sometimes the issues is not the implant but all the different metal alloys that are used to attach the teeth onto the implants ie screws, crowns or bridges. You can be tested for titanium and other heavy metal issues using a Melisa test. If you want to consider a more biocompatible material then why not look at zirconia implants?

No not all implants are the same quality just like not all cars are the same quality. Remember that this is something that will be inserted into your jaw and so it makes sense to aim for the best possible.

When you commit to this treatment you want the result to be predictable and last for a long time. To achieve this you want the best materials possible as well as experienced dentists who can offer a number of different implant solutions, tailored to your needs. Not all implants and graft materials are the same quality.

It is recommended that you visit the hygienist every 3months. Professional care and advice will allow a proactive approach to any potential issues to be resolved before they become big issues.

Yes you can have implants. Gum disease affects the bone and tissues around teeth resulting in the teeth being lost. The same can happen with implants. You are unlikely to feel pain until most of the bone has been lost. If you regularly visit the hygienist and are fastidious about your cleaning then this is unlikely to happen.

Your cleaning has to be exemplary. Your hygienist will help you to achieve the best cleaning regime. Implants don’t decay like natural teeth but the bone can still become infected.

It is very rare for the implant to fail. It is usually the bone around the implant which disintegrates. This can happen due to poor hygiene, general disease, fracture due to too much force.

In circumstances where there is enough bone to grip an implant the grafting be done at the same time as placing the implant. The obvious benefit is the reduction in healing time. However, this may need to be balanced with a slight increase in failures. There are various parameters to consider : your general and dental health, the extent of treatment required and the medications that you are taking will all impact the success rate of the treatment.

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. 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.