Dental Implants

Replacing missing teeth in Christchurch

What are Dental Implants?

A Dental Implant is an artificial replacement for a tooth root, typically made from titanium. Once implants are placed they are then used to support a single tooth, multiple teeth or even dentures. We have been placing implants at Hoburne dental practice for nearly 20 years.

What does the Treatment Involve?

The first stage is to attend the practice for a consultation to see if you are suitable for implant treatment. We may need to take x-rays, scans or models of your teeth to check whether an implant would be the right treatment for you. We have a dental CT scanner onsite to accurately assess your jaw anatomy in three dimensions.

The first stage of treatment involves the surgical placement of the implant which is then left for three months to heal into the jawbone. Subsequent appointments involve placing the crown, bridge or denture on the implant. Implant treatment normally takes a few months to complete.

Who can have implants?

Most people can have implant treatment. Following your assessment, we will always advise if implants are not appropriate for you. If you are missing one or more teeth then you could benefit from implant treatment.

One missing tooth

A titanium implant effectively replaces the missing root. Once integrated with the jawbone a porcelain crown can be securely and permanently fixed to the implant. This reduces the need for a denture or a bridge attached to the neighbouring teeth.

Multiple missing teeth

Where you are missing more than one tooth it is possible to provide an implant-based solution. For example, two implants can be placed to replace three missing teeth with a fixed-in implant bridge. Alternatively for dentures, two implants can be placed to retain a denture to stop it moving, this type of treatment works very well with a loose lower denture.

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