A single implant can be inserted into the jawbone in approximately the same position as the missing tooth root. The implant post is left to heal, a process called Osseointegration which enables it to fully integrate with the surrounding jawbone so it creates a stable platform for the replacement tooth. While your implant heals, we will fit a temporary tooth so you need not worry about having a gap in your smile. Once the healing process is complete, we will attach your new tooth that will look and feel just like your own.
We can place dental implants to restore multiple missing teeth. It is not necessary to replace every tooth with a dental implant; we can make quite large dental bridges that are supported with relatively few implants. After we have inserted your implants they will be left to heal before your new bridge is secured onto the implant posts. A temporary bridge can restore your smile during the healing period.
Problems with TMD and bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching) are surprisingly common but can be straightforward to treat when diagnosed early. Bruxism often occurs during the night but symptoms include waking up with a painful jaw or aching teeth, noticing your teeth look more worn than before or feel sensitive to hot and cold. Bruxism can cause facial pain and problems with the jaw joints (TMD) and this may lead to chronic headaches which do not respond to conventional treatment.
Dr Keren can examine your teeth and jaws and may take digital x-rays and possibly a CT scan to gain a clearer picture of your teeth and jaw joints. Often these conditions can be treated with a simple night splint or night guard that is custom-made and which prevents the teeth from contacting. Another common therapy is the use of botullinum toxin, to relax the muscles responsible for the symptoms.
Fine lines and wrinkles are a natural side-effect of aging, but facial aesthetics provides the welcome opportunity to turn back the clock and to regain a more youthful appearance. Botullinum toxins help facial muscles to relax, smoothing out fine lines, particularly any crow’s feet around the eyes, frown lines and forehead wrinkles. We only administer minimal amounts of botullinum toxin to create subtle yet natural results so you will not appear ‘frozen’ or unable to animate emotions.
We administer tiny amounts of botullinum toxin into pre-identified sites, using very fine needles that create minimal discomfort. It can take up to a week for the full effects to become evident and the results will last from 3-6 months before gradually fading.
As we age, we naturally lose the layer of fat just below the surface of the skin. This accentuates any fine lines as the facial muscles are closer to the surface. At the same time the skin becomes less elastic, adding to the loss of facial volume. Dermal fillers can be used to:
- Restore volume to thinning lips
- Soften facial lines and wrinkles
- Restoring volume to cheeks
- Improve the appearance of facial scars
- Smooth out facial contours
Treatment is very safe and while the effects are temporary, they can last between 6-12 months. Sometimes it can be nice to use this treatment in conjunction with botullinum toxin to provide the best and most natural results.
The use of botillinum toxin and dermal fillers can be included in an overall smile rejuvenation process.
Wisdom teeth can cause problems as there is frequently insufficient room for them to erupt properly. As a result, wisdom tooth removal is a very common procedure. Regular dental x-rays will have helped identify any potential issues with wisdom tooth development and if it is clear they cannot erupt fully then we will recommend their extraction.
We plan all oral surgery very carefully to ensure it is comfortable and problem-free. It is very rare for any complications to develop as a result of this treatment. If you are a little nervous, we can provide additional sedation to help you relax or complete your treatment under general anaesthetic.
There are many types of bone grafting procedures that may be used to provide successful dental implant therapy. They range from simple grafts such as ridge preservation through to complex block grafts and sinus lifts. However, they all have the same common goal and that is to improve the bone volume available for implants and also the bone quality to ensure long term success of any implant treatment. Since dental implants need to be placed in bone it is important to ensure that they are completely surrounded by sufficient amount of bone and that its quality is adequate.
The materials used to carry out bone grafting procedures also vary from using bone obtained from other parts of the jaw or body, but more commonly these days a bone ‘substitute’ is used instead. This means less procedures and discomfort for the patient.
One of the most popular and reputable bone grafting material is Bio Oss by a Swiss company Geisltich. This bone substitute is very safe and works extremely well in most situations where grafting is needed. Because it comes out of jar it means there is no second surgical site to obtain bone from other parts of the body or jaw. This leads to less pain and discomfort as well as faster healing times.
After tooth extraction the bone that once held the tooth in place tends to resorb away or is lost over time. This may lead to inadequate amount of bone to place implants to replace that tooth later on.
Often at the time of tooth extraction, we may recommend that the socket is filled with a special bone grafting material (bone substitute) to preserve the quality and amount of bone so that the tooth can be replaced with a dental implant in the future. Often the implants can be placed at the time of tooth extraction and bone grafting but occasionally may need to come a few months after the bone grafting procedure.
Preserving the bone will ensure better treatment outcomes and improved appearance of the final tooth replacement.
When replacing upper back teeth with implants there is often insufficient bone height due to the location of our sinuses. Carrying out bone grafting procedures is often routine when replacing teeth in this region. Sinus bone graft also known as a ‘sinus lift’ refers to placing a bone graft at the floor of the sinus in order to improve the amount of bone available for implants. Often the sinus lift is done at the same time as placing the implants but occasionally may need to be done a few months prior to placing the implants.
Between two and four dental implants can be used as anchors to support your new implant retained denture. Implant retained dentures give a predictably stable result with increased comfort and chewing ability, greater ease of speech and the confidence to smile and laugh. Imagine not having your denture dislodge and move around your mouth.
You don’t need to worry that you will be left without teeth while the implants posts are healing as we can fit you with temporary teeth during this period. Dental implants can take a little longer to complete, but we feel the results are well worth the effort.