Cape Town
Dental Implants

During the initial consultation process your OptiSmile dentist will evaluate the current condition of your teeth to see if implants are the best solution for you. If they are, they’ll proceed to take pictures or your mouth and a mould, if required, so that Digital Smile Design technology can be used to give you an idea of how your new implants will look. The CEREC/CAD technology they use will also be instrumental in the creation of the implants once you are completely happy with how your new restored smile will look. 

A dental implant is commonly made up of a titanium screw and a crown. A small-diameter hole is drilled where there is no tooth in order to guide the titanium screw that holds an implant in place. To avoid damaging important jaw and facial structures like the inferior alveolar nerve in the lower jaw 

After the initial pilot hole has been drilled into the appropriate jaw site, it is slowly widened to allow placement of the implant screw. Once it is in place, the surrounding gum tissue is secured over the implant and a protective cover screw placed on top to allow the area to heal and for osseointegration (the process of fusion between the dental implant and jawbone) to occur.

After up to six months of healing, OptiSmile will uncover the implant and attach an abutment (structure which holds the crown or tooth-like replacement) to the implant. In some instances, the abutment may be attached during the initial procedure. When the abutment is in place, we then create a temporary crown.

The temporary crown serves as a template around which the gum grows and shapes itself in a natural way. This process is then completed when the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent crown. 

Dental implant recovery is dependent on a number of factors, one of them being the various procedures required to complete your treatment. Maintaining diligent oral hygiene habits is required to ensure proper fusing of the implant and bone structure.

Healing from the surgical procedure to place the dental implant(s) takes up to six months, while the fitting and seating of the crown(s) can take up to two months. But the timeframe depends on individual cases and treatments. Follow-up appointments are essential for monitoring your progress. 

For several days after the surgery, your diet should be restricted to soft foods. If there are stitches present, they may need to be removed, however, self-dissolving stitches that do not require removal are typically used.

Failing to brush and floss is a leading cause of implant failure, and infection can also occur if the implant and surrounding areas are not properly cleaned. Smoking is also attributed to high failure and should be avoided following implant procedures.

A dental implant acts as a replacement for the root of a missing tooth. In turn, this “artificial tooth root” serves to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Having a dental implant fused to the jawbone is the closest thing to mimicking a natural tooth because it stands on its own without affecting the nearby teeth and has great stability. “osseointegration.” 

Dentures and bridges mounted to implants won’t slip or shift in your mouth. This secure fit helps the dentures and bridges as well as individual crowns placed over implants to feel more natural than conventional bridges or dentures.

For some people, ordinary bridges and dentures are simply not comfortable or even possible, due to sore spots, poor ridges or gagging. An advantage of implants is that no adjacent teeth need to be prepared or ground down to hold your new replacement tooth/teeth in place. To receive implants, you need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. You must also commit to keeping these structures healthy. Meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits are critical to the long-term success of dental implants. 

Depending on your teeth, both the take-home and the in chair options can achieve maximum whiteness. Both the take-home whitening and the in-chair whitening need to be customized to suit each person and the in chair needs to be combined with take-home whitening to ensure the colour holds and so you can maintain the colour at home monthly. Home bleaching may take an average of 4-6 weeks, and the more in chair whitening you do, the less homework you need to do. Once results have been achieved its easy to keep the colour looking good in as little as 30 mins once a month at home 

Have a reasonable amount of bone tissue to accommodate an implant within your jaw.

If not, these may be reconstructed by your periodontist

• Be free from periodontal diseases, which are best treated by a periodontist
• Be a non-smoker (you’ll have to give up smoking during the healing process at the very least). Smoking may negatively influence long-term success of your implant
• Have your non-restorable teeth removed by your periodontist in preparation for an immediate or eventual implant restoration

Dental implants are a permanent tooth replacement option with a success rate of 95%. However, while dental implant failure is rare, it can happen. Depending on the situation, implant failure may result from improper care and maintenance, an inexperienced dentist taking on a more complicated case than they’re prepared to handle, or another factor. People considering dental implants should consult an experienced and reputable dentist to ensure the best possible outcome. In addition to proper dental care, those with dental implants should also avoid tooth whitening products, as these can damage the implant and cause it to fail. With proper care, dental implants can provide a lifelong solution to tooth loss.