Dental implants can last anywhere from 10 to 25 years, or even more with proper care. Regular dental checkups and cleanings, along with good oral hygiene habits, can help extend the lifespan of dental implants.
If you have a full set of dentures, you may require as many as 6 to 8 dental implants to secure them properly. On the other hand, if you have only a few missing teeth, you may need only 2 to 4 dental implants to support a partial set of dentures.
While the idea of having a metal post surgically implanted into your jawbone may sound intimidating, the procedure itself is typically not painful. Local anaesthesia is used to numb the area around the implant site, and many patients report feeling only slight pressure during the procedure. While some post-operative discomfort may be expected, most patients find that any pain or swelling can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and a soft food diet for a few days after the procedure.
In order to qualify for dental implants, a person must have healthy gums and enough bone density to support the implant. Smokers and those with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, may not be suitable candidates for dental implants.
Yes. Cone beam CT scans provide high resolution, volumetric images with 3D views of critical anatomy for more thorough analysis of bone structure and tooth positioning. Cone beam CT scans deliver very accurate scans with images comparable to medical CT scans, though with a much lower radiation dose, with either in-chair / standing patient positioning (rather than lying in a tunnel) and quicker scan times.
We offer a CT scanning service for a number of clinical applications including:
- Implantology: looking at bone quality, bone height and width, and the positions of adjacent nerves and teeth.
- Oral surgery: visualising un-erupted third molars and the position of the ID and mental nerves.
- Endodontics: realising the anatomy of curves of roots.
- Orthodontics: understanding the positioning of relevant un-erupted teeth.
In addition to our simple scanning service, we can provide a diagnostic reporting service where we can help with the interpretation of scans, producing a radiology report for each scan. We also accept scan referrals from other dentists.
