Multiple dental implants

Dental implants can be used to securely anchor replacement teeth, leaving you with a new smile that looks and feels so natural, you will forget the teeth are not your own.

Each missing tooth does not necessarily require an individual implant to replace it. Often a more stable and cost-effective approach is to place an implant at either end of the 'tooth gap' and bridge across the implants with a dental bridge. The chewing function is then restored with a minimum number of implants.

Traditional bridge treatments require your dentist to file down the neighbouring healthy teeth, in order to attach the bridge in place. Dental implant technology alleviates the need to damage these healthy teeth, instead anchoring your bridge to implants, bonded with your jaw.

The implant itself is a titanium screw placed into the jaw, to replace an original root. It’s a straightforward process which can be completed under local anaesthetic. The implant will need 3 to 6 months to heal and bond with your jaw bone to provide a solid support for your replacement tooth.

Temporary replacement teeth are usually fitted at the same time as your implant placement, which will stay in place until the final restoration appointment.

Once your jaw has healed, an abutment will be fixed to the implant to hold your replacement teeth (crown or bridge) in place. Abutments are produced in titanium, gold or porcelain, and can come as a standard fit or crafted specifically for you. These options offer a range of aesthetic results, depending on your requirements.

Crowns or a dental bridge are then fitted on top, to replace your missing teeth. Your Dorking dentist will carefully match the colour of your crown to your natural teeth. 

Related FAQs

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When are dental implants placed?

Immediate placement means the implant is placed directly into a tooth extraction socket. Immediate placement will reduce overall treatment times but is reserved for cases with sufficient healthy bone to achieve initial implant stability.

If the bone is not healthy or requires augmenting then the implant placement is usually delayed for eight to twelve weeks after tooth extraction.

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After care, what's involved?

Implants are not "Fit and Forget” they need the same care and attention as natural teeth. On completion of treatment it will be necessary to attend recall appointment to check the condition of the implants and the replacement teeth they support or retain.

After this, regular reviews are recommended to monitor the condition of the implants and any remaining natural teeth. Also regular hygiene maintenance appointments are essential, as a build-up of plaque will cause inflammation and possible bone loss from around your implants, resulting in their eventual loss. This condition is called peri-implantitis and is very similar to gum disease around natural teeth.

If you have teeth and implants mixed together it is also very important to maintain the health of the natural teeth. Should the natural teeth become infected or are lost for any reason the remaining implants may be damaged by the extra pressure caused by the additional work load.

We generally ask your dentist to carry out implant maintenance for straight forward cases where only one or two dental implants have been placed. If you have one or more potential risk factors for implant complications or we have placed multiple implants we generally take care of the maintenance program. This service is carried out by our hygienists and isn’t included in the initial cost of implant treatment.

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