Dental implants at Parkfield Dental

Take care not to eat anything until your local anaesthetic has completely worn off. After that, avoid food and drinks that are either very hot or very cold for the first day, and don’t swill any liquid around the affected area. Avoid sticky, hard and chewy foods, and don’t use a straw for about a week following your surgery. This is because the suction that’s created will prevent blood clots from forming, meaning that you may bleed.
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Try not to disturb the area around your new dental implant with your tongue or fingers and avoid strenuous exercise for about 48 hours after surgery. You don’t want to disturb your implant while it’s healing.

Pain usually isn’t a very big problem after dental implant surgery. The likelihood is that you will be sore for a few days afterwards, in and around your mouth where the dental implant was placed. This soreness and pain can usually be managed very easily with simple painkillers, which we recommend taking regularly at the maximum dose for two days after surgery.
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You can take whatever normal painkillers you have around the house, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen – the same things you’d use for headaches and muscle pains. Check with your physician first to make sure you take the appropriate medication and follow the instructions on the package. You can take your first dose before the local anaesthetic has worn off.

For your dental implant to stay healthy and remain so for as long as possible, it’s crucial to keep your mouth as clean as possible. You should avoid brushing around your new dental implant for a few days after implant placement – but continue to brush your other teeth as normal during this time. As the soreness wears off, begin to clean around your dental implant, but do so gently and carefully.
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We always recommend washing your mouth out with warm salt water for an excellent cleanse. A cup of warm water with a teaspoon of salt will help your dental implant to heal initially. Make sure that the water isn’t hot enough to scald you, and then gently hold the liquid in your mouth around the implant for as long as you can. It’s also a good idea that you rinse your mouth out after every meal. We advise against smoking until your wound has fully healed.

You may experience some temporary swelling or bruising after your surgery. This is very common and usually reaches its worst point about two or three days after the procedure. It’s nothing to worry about and the swelling or bruising will subside after a few days.
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Reduce the swelling by holding an ice pack against your face. Don’t hold the pack against your cheek for any longer than ten minutes and take frequent breaks. Some gentle heat can also be helpful, and many people report that sleeping with their head propped up on a few pillows can help ease the discomfort.

Dental implants are inserted directly into your jaw and the implant will need to fully integrate into your jaw bone tissue. As such, it’s important that all necessary preparation is taken care of prior to the implant procedure. For example, depending on how many dental implants you are having fitted and the current state of your oral hygiene and dental care, it may be necessary to perform tooth extraction as a preparatory procedure before your implant. 
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It’s also important for your dentist to ensure that there is enough bone tissue to support your implant. In some circumstances where the patient does not have enough jaw bone to safely support an implant, it might be necessary to perform bone grafting. It’s possible to graft bone from other parts of your body such as your shin or hip and then insert this into your jaw. 
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A bone grafting procedure can be performed either under local anaesthesia or under general anaesthesia at a hospital—it all depends on where your bone is being grafted from. 
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These preparation procedures such as tooth extraction and bone grafting can add time onto the entire dental implant process. However, they are not done without reason. If a tooth extraction or bone grafting is part of your dental implant treatment plan, that’s because it is necessary to the procedure’s success. 
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It may sound concerning, but these are very routine procedures. If you are apprehensive about any part of your dental implant treatment, don’t hesitate to let us know. We always strive to make the experience as stress free and enjoyable as possible here at Parkfield Dental.

Almost anyone who is missing one or more teeth is a suitable candidate for dental implant treatment. If you have decayed and failing teeth, chances are that you’ll be a good candidate for dental implants. Of course, there are some situations in which dental implants are not the recommended treatment, such as if you suffer from gum disease or a condition that increases your chance of infection after surgery or if you are a heavy smoker.
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One of the reasons that we hold an initial assessment with each patient considering dental implants is so that we can assess your suitability before you undergo any treatment. This will include a CT scan where we’ll be able to see your blood vessels, nerves and bone structure in order to properly plan the procedure. 
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It’s also worth remembering that dental implants aren’t suitable for anyone under the age of 18. This is because children may well still be growing, including their bones. Because the jaw bone might still be growing, it’s not advised to have dental implant treatment.

We never perform dental implants on anyone under the age of 18 because they may still be growing, which makes implanting into their jaw bone inadvisable. But old age, on the other hand, is not a factor when it comes to the success of our dental implant treatments. 
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Bone healing actually occurs in older age—from 50 and above—with almost the same success as it does in younger dental implant patients. This means that your implants will still successfully heal and be secure and stable in older age, allowing you to benefit from a full bridge of permanent teeth. However, it’s worth noting that dental implants are still a surgical procedure, so the only thing that might prevent an older patient from being suitable for the treatment is their general medical health. Our dental implant dentists can discuss this with you at your initial consultation and will help you to understand your suitability.

One of the things we pride ourselves on here at Parkfield Dental is the way in which we treat nervous or uncomfortable patients. We do a lot to try to make the process as comfortable as possible, but we know that many people are apprehensive about visiting the dentist and the potential pain involved with dental procedures. 
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Fortunately, when it comes to dental implants, the entire procedure is performed under local anesthetic. This means that your mouth and gum is numbed throughout the implant process, so you shouldn’t even be able to feel your implant being fitted at all. The process should be as painless and stress free as possible. 
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After surgery, you may experience some level of pain and aching, which could last between a few days and a week. Fortunately, this is entirely normal and can often be easily managed with some over-the-counter painkillers. Of course, if you are concerned about the pain, we always recommend consulting your dentist here at Parkfield. 
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If you are considering having a dental implant performed but you are worried about the procedure and having dental work done, please get in touch with us today. Our sympathetic and understanding dental team are always on hand to help support you and find a way to deliver the dental treatment you need with minimal discomfort.

Every case is slightly different when it comes to dental implants. How many implants you will require for a complete and full smile depends on the demand of replacing the missing teeth—this will determine how many implants are appropriate for you. The number of implants you will need is also dependent on the length of the implants in question, and exactly how much bone you have present.

Dental implants are actually screwed into and infused with your jaw bone in order to host the new tooth. This means that your false tooth is fully implanted into your jaw bone as if it was a real tooth. Bridges, on the other hand, function slightly differently. Dental bridges actually use the surrounding teeth as a support for the new false tooth or false teeth. 
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Ultimately, dental bridges and dental implants serve a similar purpose: both can help make your smile more complete.