The fitting of dental implants at High Dental

Are you considering having an oral implant fitted and want to know more about what goes into the procedure?

Oral implants have helped to fill gaps and have allowed thousands of people to regain the strength of their bite, which has been lost due to missing a tooth or teeth. They are considered a restorative procedure but also as they fill gaps in the smile, they border on the edge of being cosmetic.

At High Dental, we have fitted thousands of implants over the years and are well-versed in the procedure, the aftercare and of course maintenance. So when you come to us to have dental implants Melbourne fitted, you can rest assured that you will be choosing a professional and experienced team.

But what exactly is involved in the fitting of dental implants Melbourne when you come to see our team at High Dental?

Read on to find out.

Assessment/consultation

If you are interested in having dental implants Melbourne fitted, our team will arrange for an assessment or consultation as a first step.

During this, we will examine your teeth and gums to check for signs of decay or gum disease which, if present, will need to be treated before we begin fitting the oral implants. At this appointment, we will also take x-rays of your jaw to ensure that you have an adequate amount of healthy jawbone in place to support any implant that is to be fitted. We will also discuss medications that you may be taking, health issues that you may have and if you are a nervous patient, we may also talk about sedation for the fitting.

If you are given the green light, we will invite you back for a fitting.

Fitting

Firstly, we will numb your gum and surrounding area with a local anaesthetic, if you are not being sedated.

Then, we will make an incision into your gum and peel it back and if there is no vacant socket (which may be the case if you have recently lost the tooth) we will drill one. After this, we will fit the implant which can be a bit of a fiddly procedure and can take up to 2 hours. Once in place, we will sew the gum shut and the treatment is complete.

Aftercare

At home, you will need to clean your implant site but for the first few weeks, you should not use a toothbrush. Instead, you should rinse the area with saltwater to avoid aggravating any inflammation or introducing bacteria.

Clean the rest of your teeth as usual and avoid eating any hard foods or placing additional pressure on the implant.

Prosthetics

Once the implant has fused with the jaw, which can take between 3 to 6 months for a healthy individual, we will fit the prosthetic. This could be a porcelain tooth, a bridge or dentures. This stage is not uncomfortable and depending on how many prosthetics are being fitted, you may be able to leave our surgery in less than an hour with a new tooth in place.

Looking great? Maintenance!

You have to maintain your oral implants and prosthetics when you are at home. This involves brushing, flossing and attending biannual check-ups. You will also need to keep an eye out for signs of gum disease which can destabilise an oral implant and you should refrain from smoking cigarettes or consuming excessive quantities of alcohol, which can cause the gums to recede.

DISCLAIMER

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