Dental implants; a guide from our dentist

Curious to learn more about dental implants?

At Buttercup 7 Day Dental, our dentist in Glasgow knows all there is to know about dental implants, so read on to see if you are suitable to have them!

Here, our dentist in Glasgow offers some insight into dental implants, how they are fitted and what the procedure entails for your information.

 What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium screws, which are fitted into your jaw to act as synthetic tooth roots for prosthetic teeth.

They are fitted by our dentist in Glasgow and, if they fuse, they can offer you a stable base for your new teeth, leaving them looking and feeling as if they are natural.

The fitting

First, we will check your suitability; this will be done with a dental examination and X-rays.

The X-rays will look at the density of your jawbone; if we deem it strong enough, we will move on to fitting the implants.

This will involve our team injecting your jaw with an anaesthetic to numb it, making some incisions into your gum line and then placing the implants into the jaw. This can be done by using an already vacant socket from a recent extraction, or by drilling a new hole into the jaw.

Once placed, we sew the gums up and there you have it! Your implants are fitted!

Fusing and loading

Once the implants have been fitted, there will be a period wherein fusing can take place; typically between 3 to 6 months.

As the implants fuse, you will need to keep the implant site free from debris and, for the first few weeks post-fusing, you should do this with salt water and avoid putting weight on the implants.

When they have fused to your jaw, our team can load the prosthetic teeth; these may be a single crown, a bridge or a set of dentures. Before loading dentures, we will typically fit 4 implants or more, to ensure that the dentures are secured.

Aftercare

Once you have had your implants loaded, you will need to care for your new teeth as if they were natural.

This means you will need to brush them twice a day, floss, rinse with mouthwash and of course, attend dental check-ups with our team every 6 months. This will allow us to check for signs of rejection and gum disease, which can have a significant impact on the longevity of the implants.

Potential complications

There are very few issues that can occur with dental implants if they are fitted correctly.

You may have issues with the implants fusing to the bone; this is more common if you have an underlying health issue like osteoporosis or are taking immunosuppressant medications. If you have had your implants fitted for 12 months and they have failed to fuse, we will generally remove them and look at other tooth restoration options.

Another potential issue is that of infection. Luckily, an implant infection looks no different from a regular dental infection and should encourage you to seek help promptly with the discomfort it creates! However, if you notice swelling, discolouration of the gum, pus, discomfort and feel ill, do not hesitate to contact our team for an emergency appointment.