A guide to dental implants by Dr Bobby Chhoker

Fed up with having that gap in your teeth? Ever considered oral implants to close it?

At Dr Bobby Chhoker, we have helped many patients with the restoration of their smiles using dental implants and we may be able to help you too!

Here, we offer a brief introductory guide to dental implants, so enjoy!

What are oral implants?

In short, dental implants are titanium rods that are fitted into your jaw and act as a synthetic root for either a single prosthetic tooth to be placed, a bridge or a full denture set.

Made from titanium, implants fuse to your jaw over several months, after which our team fits the prosthetic tooth or teeth to provide a cosmetically appealing and functional final result.

Suitability

While we wish all of our patients were suitable for oral implants, there are a few requirements that need to be met before we can fit them.

For one thing, you need to have good overall dental health; if we spot any signs of decay or gum disease, we will need to treat these before we proceed. You will also need to have enough jawbone to have a standard endosteal implant fitted, which will be confirmed with an X-ray. And finally, we will need to ask about your general medical history to scan for any contraindicated health issues, such as osteoporosis or medications that can hinder the successful fusing of an implant.

Fitting

The fitting of oral implants is relatively straightforward.

Our team numb your jaw, make some incisions where we are going to place the implants and then (depending on the presence of a vacant socket), we will either fit the implant or drill a small hole to do so.

The process usually takes between 1-2 hours when fitting a single endosteal implant and so, if you are having multiple implants fitted, we will spread apart the appointments.

Aftercare

For the first few weeks following your oral implant fitting, your gums are going to feel slightly sore and there will likely be an issue with you using your newly fitted implants to bite into or chew food.

So, we will typically advise that you maintain a healthy diet by eating lots of boiled vegetables and fruits. Try to avoid eating any foods that are hard, sticky, spicy or salty as this can aggravate already existing soreness of the gums and worsen issues with the implant fusing.

While it is unlikely, you will need to keep your eyes open for signs of infection around the implant site. If there is any swelling, discolouration, prolonged discomfort, or pus or if you feel ill or have flu-like symptoms after your implants have been fitted, you will need to contact our team for an emergency appointment.

Maintenance

Oral implants aren’t hard to maintain; in fact, many patients prefer them to other restoratives like dentures and fitted bridges because of their ease of use in daily life. Just brush them twice a day, floss them and attend dental check-ups every 6 months as you would with your regular teeth and your implants should last up to and over 15 years.

It is also worth noting that habits such as smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause your implants to fail prematurely, so if you need help with either of these lifestyle choices, talk to our team.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

---