FAQs

A dental implant is a metal screw that is placed into the jaw bone. It acts as an anchor for a false tooth or a set of false teeth.

Permanent tooth replacement is a method of restoring missing teeth with natural-looking substitutes that are securely anchored to the jawbone with dental implants.

When a dental implant restoration is perfectly constructed, neither the patient or anyone else should have any hint that an implant is there, all people should see is the tooth.

Dental implants provide a more stable and natural feeling than loose dentures. You will be able to eat virtually any food with ease, comfort, and confidence. You will notice an improvement in your appearance, and possibly, in your speech. Many patients find these improvements enhance their self-image and self-confidence.

The placement of Dental Implants should cause only minor discomfort -  perhaps the equivalent to having a tooth pulled. The surgical procedure required to insert the implants is surprisingly gentle and normally requires only local anaesthesia. Afterwards, most patients have minimal discomfort that is easily controlled by mild pain medication.

Depending on the extensiveness of the procedure, many patients are able to work within a day of surgery.

The length of time that your implants last will be influenced by many factors including smoking, grinding, and oral hygiene. Dental implants have been shown to last up to 40 years. The first implants were successfully placed in Sweden in 1969 and many are still going strong.

Yes, but only the special care everybody should normally give their teeth--daily brushing and flossing and regular visits to your dentist.

Anyone who is missing one or more teeth may be a candidate for dental implants. You must be in reasonable health have enough bone in the area of the missing teeth to provide for the anchorage of the implants.

A bridge is one of a number of alternatives for replacing missing teeth.

A dental bridge is a false tooth that is fused between two porcelain crowns. These crowns are placed over the teeth either side of the area left by the missing tooth and give the appearance of three perfectly healthy-looking teeth, without the fuss of an implant. 

Bridges are an ideal solution for patients with missing teeth that have good oral hygiene practices. You may discuss this procedure and your suitability with your dentist.

A Dental bridge is one of the dental treatments for filling spaces left by missing teeth. If spaces are left unfilled, they may cause the surrounding teeth to drift out of position. Additionally, spaces from missing teeth can cause your other teeth and your gums to become far more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease.

A dental crown is an artificial restoration that fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it strong and giving it the shape of a natural tooth.

Crowns are an ideal restoration for teeth that have been broken, or have been weakened by decay or a very large filling. A crown could be used for a number of other reasons, including disguising discoloured fillings, to protect a tooth after a root canal treatment or to help hold a bridge firmly in place.

How long your crown lasts depends on how well you look after it. It is important to keep this area just as clean as you would your natural teeth in order to prevent decay affecting the crown.

Properly cared for crowns can last between 5 and 15 years. Your dentist will be able to give advice on long the crown may be expected to last.

Porcelain Veneers are thin laminates of tooth coloured porcelain material that are “cemented” to the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance. The veneers are bonded to the front of your existing teeth.

Patients who choose to be treated using porcelain veneers are able to transform misaligned, stained, worn and damaged teeth into a brand new straight white smile. This can be achieved in a very short amount of time.

Porcelain veneers will typically last between 15-20 years, eventually your veneers will need to be replaced. To ensure your veneers last as long as possible it is important to follow a good oral hygiene program and also visit your dentist for regular checkups.

Although veneers are strongly cemented into place there have been cases where they come loose and fall off, in such situations it is important that you keep hold of your veneer and contact your dentist immediately.

Root canal therapy(or endodontic treatment) is a procedure designed to correct disorders of the dental pulp(the nerves, blood vessels and soft tissues in the tooth). During this procedure the dental pulp is removed, and the the space which is left in the tooth is cemented and sealed to prevent further decay.

Root canal therapy is needed to repair a tooth that is infected or decayed. The most common causes of pulp nerve damage are generally brought on by severe tooth decay reaching down to the nerve or a blow to a tooth or the jaw causing damage to sensitive nerve tissue within the tooth.

This treatment is usually entirely painless, and has an extremely high success rate.