All About Implants
Implant Therapy
Implant Therapy has been used for well over three decades by qualified Dentists and surgeons worldwide. Today it now has evolved to mean that most issues can be dealt with by an implant.
An implant is basically an artificial tooth root that works like a real one. It is a small but very strong post made of bio-compatible materials or ceramics, which is inserted into the jaw bone in place of the missing tooth. It then acts as an all-encompassing support for the “tooth” placed on top – they are now so life-like that you can hardly tell it is a crown mounted on an implant. The implant is surgically inserted under local anaesthetic on an outpatient basis in the dental surgery here at Springhill Dental Practice.
Once inserted, the implant is left in place to heal around the implant, called osseointegration and a healing phase of 6 weeks to a few months is needed before a crown can be mounted or other bridge work is done to help provide tooth surfaces across the gap.
We can use several types of surfaces and materials depending on the solution needed.
Titanium – Pure surgical grade titanium is biocompatible – it is non-toxic and well tolerated by the body. This means it is perfect for surgical uses and has been used in joint replacements and other uses in the body where strength is needed, but a lightweight is preferred. Because it can bond very well to bone, dental implants can last for decades if well looked after by the patient.
Roxolid – this is a dedicated new material that was developed by Straumann – it is made from titanium zirconium allow, which is even stronger than titanium alone
Ceramics – there are metal-free alternatives which can be used instead
SL Active – SL Active is a unique surface that is applied to Strauman implants that can shorten the integration and healing time