Dental implants

The local aesthetic injection will feel like a small sharp scratch or pinch, after which your gums and teeth will be numb. You now will not feel any pain during the treatment.

The numb sensation feels tingly or heavy around the teeth being treated including the  lips, chin, cheek and tongue. You can feel a sensation of pressure with water and gentle vibration, which is not painful.

Dental implants are a strong and secure replacement for missing teeth that are fixed. They will help you bite and chew naturally again and eat the food you like. Aesthetically a dental implant looks and feels like your natural teeth with almost no visible difference. You can feel more comfortable talking, smiling and eating.

It is well documented that implants are a safe and successful method of treatment. Even so, all dental treatments come with small risks and dental implants are no different. Potential risks can vary depending on your health, bad oral hygiene or limited healing due to pre-existing medical conditions. Our dentists will always undertake a thorough assessment whether implant treatment is the right choice for you.

For young people it is possible to have dental implants as soon as their jaw has stopped growing. This is usually between 18-20 years of age. Fortunately there is no upper age limitation for dental implants. However we will need to assess for any significant medical risk factors and whether you are suitable for implant treatment.

We will never leave you with a visible missing tooth after any visit with us. There are different options to temporarily cover a gap after tooth extraction or implant treatment. Your dentist will discuss this with you when planning your treatment.

We treat many people that do not have enough bone available to secure the placement of dental implants. We use highly safe and predictable bone augmentation methods that allow us to rebuild the bone so implants can be possible.

The average time spent having treatment is approximately 30-60 minutes and the total appointment time is 60-90 minutes.

We recommend taking the rest of the day off work. Most people will have recovered enough to go back to work the next day. Every individual will heal at a different rate, so you may require an additional 1-5 days off work.

The numb sensation generally lasts 2-4 hours. We do not recommend you chew any food or drink hot drinks while you are numb to prevent you from chewing your lip, cheek or tongue and burning your mouth. You are able to drink water straight after this treatment.

Some minor bleeding after treatment is normal and your saliva can appear pink for 24 hours afterwards. There can be some slight bruising and/or swelling which usually settles after 3-5 days after treatment. There will be stitches which are usually left to dissolve or removed after 7-14 days.

It is common to feel some soreness after this treatment. We recommend taking a pain killer straight away, while you are still numb. We recommend Paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen, which is available over the counter. Taking pain killers will help prevent any immediate discomfort or pain. Every individual will experience a different level of soreness and so you may need to take pain killers for the next 1-5 days after treatment.

Yes. Sedation involves giving you medicine into a vein via a small cannula that makes you feel sleepy and relaxes you both physically and mentally. This medicine is given to you by an Anaesthetist or a Dental Sedationist. You will need someone to take you home afterwards.