Smilemakers Dental Implant Clinic offers a patient-centred approach to dental implants. We are here to offer you our skills as dental professionals, but we are also aware of the importance of communication and support throughout the process.
One of the areas we are always looking at is the way in which we present information to you at the beginning of a treatment. We want you to be fully prepared for dental implants in Southampton with us, so we show you your treatment plan, help you make choices where appropriate and present it all with no jargon.
Some key words defined
Part of offering clarity around dental implants in Southampton involves defining a few common terms. By the end of your treatment, these may be familiar to you if they are part of your treatment plan:
- Dental implant – this is the term used to describe the metal fixture that is inserted below your gumline in a procedure that is carried out under local anaesthetic. This is used to mount your prosthetic teeth
- Abutment – this is the connection point between your dental implants in Southampton and your new teeth
- Bite pressure – this is the amount of pressure that you need to apply to teeth in order to adequately chew most food. When you have dental implants, your bite pressure will be comparable to that of natural teeth
- Bone graft – this is a common procedure that is used to build up an area where a dental implant will eventually be inserted. It is achieved using bone from elsewhere in the body or bone from a donor source.
Stages of the dental implant process
The consultation and fitting process can all be achieved within a matter of weeks assuming no preparatory work is required. If you do need something like a bone graft, it can add months to the overall treatment length. Once the process is complete, however, you will be able to enjoy your new teeth for decades, if you care for them properly. The recuperation period after any dental implant treatment is the one that takes the most time. The body needs to heal before you can put full bite pressure onto your dental implants.
