Paper Mill Dental
Dental implants
Dental implants have been used to replace missing teeth since the 1960’s, but in the past 20 years their use has become routine. Dental implants are used to support crowns to replace one or more missing teeth, bridges that replace a larger span of missing teeth, or even dentures to replace all the missing teeth in a jaw. The implants are manufactured from titanium, a very safe metal that is compatible with the body and routinely used in orthopedic surgery to stabilize fractures and replace knees and hips. There is over 45 years of clinical evidence to show that dental implants are a safe and convenient way to replace lost teeth with natural-looking results.
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What are the advantages of dental implants?
Dental implants have a number of important advantages over conventional crowns, bridges and dentures:
  • Dental Implants look and feel like natural teeth and DO NOT DECAY!
  • Implants function in the same way as natural teeth. 
  • Healthy adjacent teeth do not have to be filed down to act as supports for the missing tooth or teeth. This means that they are less likely to need root canals.
  • Dental implant maintains the jaw bone that usually atrophies after tooth extraction. Chewing forces are transmitted through the implant to the bone and stimulate the natural process of bone remodeling. 
  • Dental Implants helps preserve a good facial appearance.  
  • Dental implants provide anchorage for removable dentures. 
  • Dental implants prevent dentures from dislodging during chewing and speaking.  

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What does a dental implant consist of?
A dental implant is a specially machined titanium screw which is inserted into a prepared site in the jaw bone acting as a replacement root for the missing tooth. A special connecting part called an abutment is attached to the implant to which the new replacement tooth (crown) or teeth (bridge or denture) are anchored.

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How do dental implants Heal?
During healing, the titanium surface of the implant fuses with the surrounding bone, in a process known as osseointegration, which can take about 3-6 months. After this time, the implant is stable enough to support one or more false teeth.

Who is a candidate for dental implant?
Dental implants are suitable for almost anyone who has lost one or more teeth and would like to restore their appearance or chewing ability. To obtain dental implant treatment; your mouth must be healthy, and with no untreated active periodontal (gum) disease. If implants are fitted in the presence of active periodontitis, there is a danger that an infection will develop around the implant, which will lead to its failure and loss. Your oral hygiene must be adequate before implants are placed, because the long-term success of implants depends on good oral hygiene leading to good plaque control. During and after treatment is completed, you must attend regular follow-up appointments so that the implants are checked and monitored in an effort to monitor your healing and plaque control in an effort to prevent any complications at an early stage.
When are dental implants not suitable treatment?
Dental implant therapy may not be feasible if the jaw bone is not sufficiently thick to accommodate implants and bone grafting is not possible to achieve a proper site for implant placement.  Uncontrolled diabetics and patients with untreated periodontitis are at a higher risk of complications due to infection or poor healing; therefore increasing the risk of implant failure. However, once the diabetes is under control, their periodontal condition treated and their home care has improved these individuals may also benefit from dental implant treatment. 
What does implant treatment involve?
  • Examination & Imaging 
Dr. Schwartz will conduct a thorough examination of your mouth along with conventional 2D radiographs of your jaws to assess the shape and condition of your bone and locate the positions of possible implant sites in relation to important structures, such as nerves and the sinus cavities. Once the exam and preliminary radiographs have been performed, Dr. Schwartz, will discuss with you the potential treatment options for your individual needs and desires. A 3D computed tomography (CT) scan is used in most cases to plan the final treatment plan.


  • Implant Placement and Healing
Implant placement surgery will be carried out using either a one-stage or two-stage procedure, depending on your particular clinical circumstances. In either case, the surgery involves making a small incision in the gum to expose the bone and using a special drills to shape the bone into an implant receptor site.  



In the one-stage approach, the implant is inserted into the prepared bone and an attachment called a healing cap, which protrudes through the gum, is attached to the implant.  The healing cap is removed after a 4-6 month healing period to test the stability of the implant in the bone and confirm the osseointegration of the implant and the bone. If osseointegration is confirmed, you will be scheduled to begin the restorative process.
In the two-stage approach, a cover screw is placed flush over the top of the implant and the gum is sewn up over it for the 4-6 month healing period. A second minor procedure is needed to uncover the implant through a small incision in the gum. Once the implant is uncovered the stability of the implant in the bone is tested to confirm the osseointegration of the implant and the bone. If osseointegration is confirmed, a healing collar will be attached to the implant and the gum tissue allow to heal around it for for a few weeks in preparation to begin the restorative phase. 
  • Restorative Phase and Impressions
After the implant to bone healing has been confirmed the restorative phase of treatment will commence by taking new impression of your mouth and the implant(s). The models fabricated from the impressions will be used to make a replica model of your teeth and implants on which the dental technician will construct your new prosthetic teeth.
  • Fitting of the prosthetic teeth - crowns or bridges
Fitting your new prosthetic teeth is the final step in the dental implant treatment. The new teeth, crowns and /or bridges will be cement or screwed on to the abutments or implants and their appearance, fit and function will be assessed and the necessary adjustments will be made to ensure that your top and bottom teeth work together comfortably. A post insertion appointment will allow us to make sure that the implants are stable and functioning well, and that you are comfortable with the bite of the new restorations.
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What is bone grafting? 
Bone grafts are very common procedure in conjunction with dental implant treatment or in preparation for it. The purpose is to increase the width and or height of the jawbone to achieve an adequate implant site or to fill bony voids after implant(s) have been placed. Depending on the bone graft used a healing period of 4-6 months is necessary prior to placing implants into the grafted site. There are four types of bone grafts depending on their source.

  • Autogenous - this is your own bone that is surgically removed body. Typically, the bone is harvested from the hip, as it is a good source of marrow which contains many bone cells. 
  • Allografts  - this is donated human bone taken from a ‘bone bank’ and work in the same way as autogenous grafts. 
  • Xenografts - this is bone from an animal donor typically cows acting as the main source (bovine bone). The bovine bone in the graft is replaced by your own bone tissue over time.
  • Alloplasts - this is are synthetic bone substitutes that are chemically similar to human bone.  These grafts act as a sort of framework for new natural bone formation and may be replaced by natural bone (resorbable alloplasts) or retained (non-resorbable alloplasts). 
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How long will my implant last?
Dental implant have the potential to last you a lifetime. Dental implants have been used successfully for many decades and studies show a 95% success rate.  With good oral hygiene and maintenance, they can function for many years. To help increase the lifespan of dental implants the following recommendations must be followed: Avoid smoking, continue with a very thorough oral hygiene programme at home and attend regular cleaning visits at our office for careful inspection of your implant, teeth and gums. This will allow you to have your implant and teeth professionally cleaned and enable any problems to be dealt with promptly before they threaten the stability of your implant.
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What might cause an implant to fail?
Assuming there have been no problems with the healing process after implant placement, the most likely cause of failure is inadequate oral hygiene. If tooth cleaning is poor, bacteria will build up on the implant surface and cause mucositis, an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane surrounding the implant. If left untreated, mucositis can progress to a more dangerous condition called peri-implantitis, in which the inflammatory process spreads to the bone around the implant and bone loss around the implant will ensue. If left untreated, enough bone will be lost compromising the stability of the implant until it becomes loose.






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