Implants
Do you hide your smile because of spaces? Do you lack faith in the stability of your dentures? Do you have difficulty in chewing? Dental implants are so natural looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth. See our portfolio.


Implants are alternatives to complex restorative treatment on your natural tooth such as conventional bridges, and dentures. Constructed of Titanium an implant is placed into the underlying bone of your jaw. Implants are safe, non-toxic, and biocompatible. Your bone will grow around the implant and osseo-integrate to the fixture. First tried over 30 years ago, implants evolved to provide a treatment option with 95% success rate over 10 years. Now considered the No. 1 option to replace a missing tooth, implant based treatment is the future of replacing gaps.

What is it?
Dental implants are surgically placed into the bone in your jaws. They replace missing or extracted teeth. Once osseo-integration has occurred, the definitive crown, bridge or denture can be constructed. In the interim period you will be provided with a provisional restoration of the highest calibre. Traditionally, placement of implants has been a multistage procedure. However, with new scientific research, in some cases, a single stage immediate implant with definitive crown is now possible.

Why are they used?
Use of implants and osseo-integration has been documented for nearly 30 years. This treatment option is backed by a multitude of scientific literature and clinical experience. 

Implants can:
• Replace one or more teeth without affecting adjacent teeth.
• Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable denture.
• Provide support and retention for a denture
The exciting prospect for many patients is to finally discard their dentures or avoid them totally.

Procedure
Initial consultation, assessment and planning will occur with one of our dentists. The options appropriate to your case will be thoroughly discussed with you. Preoperative pictures and tooth shade will be taken and the smile design process is initiated. Impressions will be taken to allow our ceramist to provide a diagnostic wax up, this will physically allow you to visualise and approve the intended outcome. You may require specialised imaging in the form of computerised tomography. This will allow your Dentist to have a 3D reconstruction of your jaws, allowing perfect planning for the best outcome.

If there is insufficient quality and quantity of bone to place your implant into, osseo-integration will be compromised. As this is key to success you may require a bone augmentation procedure to allow your implant to have optimal status (see below). Your dentist will discuss all of these eventualities and possibilities in the initial stages.

The placement of a single implant is a relatively minor procedure and routinely carried out under local anaesthetic, many patients report that it is easier than having a tooth extracted. In the interim period you will be provided with a provisional restoration of the highest calibre and aesthetics.

Many implant procedures require a second stage, this ensures true osseo-integration has occurred. Carried out under local anaesthetic the buried implant is uncovered, and impressions taken. These are sent to our Smile Cliniq ceramist who will hand craft your aesthetic crown or bridge. In the interim period you will be provided with a provisional restoration of the highest calibre.

At your next visit the provisional restoration is carefully removed, and your custom made crown or bridge is tried in. A thorough quality control programme is initiated to ensure that you are about to receive a Smile Cliniq experience of premier quality. You will be shown the final restoration at this try in stage. Once you confirm that you are pleased with the appearance and fit, your Dentist will cement the restoration to the implant.

Recall and Review
You will be invited to return a few weeks after provision of the definitive restoration to review your oral health status, condition of the implant and restoration as well as to get feed back of the cosmetic result. An implant does not suffer from dental decay but it is still very important to employ a strict oral hygiene regime encompassing professional hygiene intervention. You will be shown the most appropriate method to ensure optimal oral health. As with any dental intervention, regular recall and review is essential to ensure the status of your implant.

Bone Graft/Sinus Lift
In certain cases when a dental implant is prescribed, it is necessary to build up bone in the implant site to ensure success. This is generically known as Bone Grafting. The techniques used by Smile Cliniq are well documented and will be discussed with you from the initial consultation if required. Bone grafting allows your Dentist to increase the height and width of bone, and even fill voids. The preferred bone to use is taken from other areas of your mouth.

Your Dentist may inform you that a bone graft is not required, instead opting for a sinus lift in the upper jaw. The maxillary sinus is a hollow cavity designed to make your head lighter. As we age our sinuses enlarge. If an implant was placed without appropriate planning it would not have optimal bone support. A sinus lift procedure is designed to raise the floor of the sinus, thus allowing your dentist to place your implant into solid bone, not disturbing the sinus.

Surgical Stents
Smile Cliniq's dentists aim to provide the most aesthetic and functional restoration possible whilst at all times aiming to provide maximum longevity. Cases that are advanced in nature will need further planning and investigation. A CT scan may be required, this will allow your dentist to visualise your jaws in 3 dimensions. The CT scan provides ultimate control over planning and placement of implants. The scan will accurately allow the specific size, type, and angulation of implant to be selected before your procedure even takes place. A surgical stent may be manufactured from this 3D computerised model, which acts as a specific guide for placement of your implant thus removing the possibility of human error.


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