Implants

Losing teeth is a great loss! For many it is the beginning of a spiral descent of dental problems! At Mona Lisa Smiles we make it a temporary loss!

Implants have been around since the 1950's when it was found that metal titanium could actually integrate itself with bone. Since this discovery was made Implantologists have used this metal to represent the missing root of a tooth allowing us to restore a tooth to its natural state.

Many of our patients have benefit from this treatment in the past in more ways than one. Not only has it given them the ability to eat and smile with a natural confidence, it can also help to stopped the shrinkage of the jaw bone that makes the face look older, it avoids further preparation to neighbouring teeth (which is often the requirement of the ‘bridge' option) and it is the most long term, if not permanent option of replacing missing teeth.

Am I a good candidate for this sort of treatment?

If you have missing teeth, and you want an option which will replace your missing teeth and be longer lasting, then you are a brilliant candidate. Just ensure that you schedule a complimentary consultation with us to ensure that we choose the right implant system that suits both the number of teeth that are missing & the amount of bone levels that you have.

What other options can I have to replace my missing teeth?

You can opt for either a denture or a bridge. Both are good options but will not be as long term as implants because implants preserve your bone structure; a bridge and a denture will become loose as it wears your bone away and may need to be replaced years done the line. A bridge also requires preparing the neighbouring teeth to support a bridge and so in some respects weakens these teeth.

There are also psychological implications, for instance people who wear dentures feel insecure that their dentures are not fixed and not part of their natural mouth.

Most of our patients are aware that implants, although a more expensive option, has more benefits long term.
Therefore this option works out cheaper, out of all the three options of replacing missing teeth.

What is the success rate of implants?

97%.

Like all implants the body can naturally reject the implant and therefore the procedure may need to be repeated, but fortunately this is extremely rare.

Implants look, feel and function just like normal teeth