Having dental implants placed at our Derby dental practice can not only change your appearance for the better but, in many cases, increase confidence too. As such, the procedure can be life enhancing. Despite this though, there can be a reluctance from some people to proceed; perhaps due to the need to make a small hole in the jawbone into which the implant is seated.<\/p>\n
Whilst this mental image may be quite disturbing for some, in reality the jawbone actually has very few nerves and is not especially sensitive to pain. Add to this the fact that a local anaesthetic is used and you can see that there really is nothing to fear.<\/p>\n
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In some cases, it may also be necessary to perform a bone graft prior to a dental implant being placed. This usually occurs in older people when the bone in the jaw has become reduced to the point where there is insufficient density for the implant to be held in place. This can also occur in heavy smokers and those with advanced gum disease.<\/p>\n
The bone used is usually taken from the patient themselves, often from the hip area. This method ensures the best chance of the graft taking as the body is less likely to reject the new bone. Alternatives, such as artificial bone, are available although the risk of rejection is sometimes higher if these are used.<\/p>\n
Once the donor bone has been grafted onto the existing bone structure, it will need to be left for a period of time for the bone to become integrated with the existing bone in the jaw. Once this has happened successfully, the bone is then ready to accept the new dental implant and the procedure can go ahead.<\/p>\n
In cases where a full arch of teeth need to be replaced, it is extremely rare for individual implants to be used. To do so would be extremely expensive indeed and, because of the healing time needed, would also be a very lengthy process.<\/p>\n
A much better option when this is needed is to have an ‘all on 4 procedure<\/a>‘. This involves the placing of four dental implants, two at the front and two specially designed ones at the rear. The rear ones are placed at an angle of around 45 degrees which gives a very large degree of extra stability and because of this, can be used for people who would have insufficient bone structure for a standard dental implant.<\/p>\n