Dental Implant Preparation in Chelmsford, Essex

Blue Sky Dental is proud to offer perhaps the most modern restorative and reconstructive treatment available within modern dentistry; dental implants. Teeth implants are designed to look, function and feel as close to natural teeth as is currently possible. In some cases, in order for the treatment to work, bone grafting may be required before the implants can be placed. This is to ensure the implants have the best possible chance of being successful.

Our Specialist Chelmsford dental implant team strives to ensure patients have the best possible chance of a successful outcome, using this innovative solution for replacing missing teeth. Even where jaw bone has been lost, with augmentation followed by implant treatment, patients can enjoy a secure, attractive and functional smile once again.

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a small titanium rod that is used to replace the tooth root. It is placed with extreme precision and supports an abutment (collar) onto which a crown is affixed. Some patients may opt for individual implants to replace each missing tooth, whereas others will benefit from full-arch replacement techniques such as “all on 4” or “fixed on 6” where all teeth have been lost. Implants are extremely versatile and increasingly affordable.

Key Benefits of Dental Implants:

• Implants do not come with a risk of falling out, as other tooth replacements can.
• Dental implants are also hugely beneficial to your oral health in that they slow down the degradation of the jawbone, which happens naturally following tooth-loss.
• Implants enable patients to eat freely, without worry of embarrassment.

• The face doesn't hollow and age in the way that it can with missing teeth, or with replacements that don't also replace the tooth root.
• Dental implants are very natural-looking, restoring the aesthetic appeal of your smile.
• Implants enable you to speak and eat in the way that you are used to

We often see patients who benefit from restored or renewed confidence following treatment. This can be transformative for a person's life, especially if they previously felt restricted with their professional or personal life because of their lack of smile-confidence.

Dental Implants and Bone Grafting

If you are considering implant treatment, your gums and jawbone need to be healthy. A jawbone without enough volume of bone to support an implant, or that is not enough in terms of quality to support an implant, may require augmentation.

When we perform the scan to look at your jawbone to establish where we would place the implants, we also check the condition of the bone. If the natural bone is not sufficient for successful treatment, we will suggest augmentation. Rebuilding the bone in this way will help to create a good foundation for the implants, leading to the best possible chance of an excellent outcome.

Why Is Augmentation Needed?

At Blue Sky Dental we will only perform any treatment if we believe it has a high chance of success. For implant treatment to be successful it requires a strong, healthy bone of adequate density for support and security.

There are lots of reasons a person's jaw may not be dense enough to support implants including:

• Previous periodontal disease.
• Injury to the jawbone.
• A long-term smoking habit.
• Teeth that have been missing for a long time (causing the jawbone to degrade).
• Previous infections.
• Roots left from previous extractions.

The Bone Augmentation Process

We always tailor the bone grafting process to suit the patient to ensure the best possible chance of success. This means that each treatment varies to a degree, because each patient is individual.

In all instances the treatment is designed to be pain-free and can usually be completed quite quickly. Sometimes we might complete bone augmentation when some teeth need to be removed, ensuring you spend the least possible time in the dentist's chair. To place the bone, we completely numb the area and then make a small incision in the gum to allow us to attach the new bone material, together with stimulating proteins/enzymes which encourage healing. We then carefully stitch the area up and leave it to heal, which can take a few weeks or a few months depending on the individual.

The Bone Used for Grafting

In order to complete a bone graft sometimes we need to harvest bone from elsewhere. Often, we can find healthy bone in the chin, or ramus or other areas of your body. We can take some bone under local anaesthetic but if the bone needs to be taken from an area like the hip, you may require a small surgical procedure under general anaesthetic in hospital. In some instances, if healthy bone cannot be sourced from your body, we may use external human, animal sources or synthetic options. In all cases the bone that is harvested is prepared carefully and put through special procedures to ensure no germs or bacteria are carried into your body when the grafting takes place.

Special Instructions Following Bone Augmentation

After you have had a bone augmentation at our Chelmsford clinic you will have special instructions from the dentist to give your bone graft the best possible chance of healing. With some patients we expect healing to take place after a few weeks, but it can take months. During that time dental appliances cannot be worn and your diet may need to be adapted. We may also recommend you use certain oral hygiene products.

Jaw bone augmentation is not required for every patient, but if you do need the treatment, we will be pleased to discuss the details with you so that you understand what it involves.

The first step is a consultation at our Chelmsford clinic to determine if the treatment is right for you, and to create a treatment plan that results in you getting the smile restoration you need and deserve.