CLINIC DR BONSALL

Are you ready for a new smile?

A smile has a tremendous impact on perceptions of one's attractiveness and one's personality. Previous psychological research has shown that attractive people are perceived as more successful, intelligent, and friendly. Research extends these findings by demonstrating that teeth alone can have an impact on overall attractiveness and perceptions of personality attributes. The information in this section is intended to provide an overview of routine dental implant treatment.

At Dr. Bonsall we use the latest esthetic dental techniques to give incredible smiles that really change peoples lives. Schedule your appointment. Come in, meet the staff, and find out how modern cosmetic dentistry can change not only your smile, but your entire life!

Dental Implants Basics!

An ideal solution for people who have a missing tooth or teeth, but are in good general oral health, dental implants replace both the tooth and the root. Versatile, strong and natural-looking, dental implants can be used to replace one tooth, or a number of teeth.

A dental implant is essentially a substitute for a natural root and commonly it is screw or cylinder shaped. Each implant is placed into a socket carefully drilled at the precise location of the intended tooth. The main aim during installation of any implant is to achieve immediate close contact with the surrounding bone. This creates an initial stability, which over time is steadily enhanced by further growth of bone into microscopic roughnesses on the implant surface.

Once that implantation is healed, we will place the implant restoration. For the restoration, an impression of the existing teeth will be made and sent to our dental laboratory. The lab will create a tooth designed specifically to fit in the space, and match the size and shape of the remaining healthy teeth. Once the implant is complete, we will place the new tooth in the mouth, shaping and adjusting to fit your bite.

How many teeth can be supported by implants?

All the common forms of tooth replacement, such as bridges or dentures can be replaced by dental implants.If you are missing just one natural tooth, then one implant is normally all that will be needed to provide a replacement. Larger spaces created by two, three or more missing teeth do not necessarily need one implant per tooth, however the exact number of implants will depend upon the quality and volume of bone at each potential implant site. Occasionally, it is even possible to join natural teeth to implants with a conventional bridge.

In the upper jaw, bone density is generally poorer than in the lower and if you have no teeth at all, most treatment providers will want to place a minimum of 6 implants to support a complete arch of 10 or more replacement teeth.

In the lower jaw, the bone towards the front of the mouth is often very strong and as a direct result, fewer implants may be needed than are required to treat a whole upper jaw.

If you have no teeth in the lower jaw, and are not yet ready for multiple implant placements, a conventional lower denture can be considerably improved with two implants placed beneath the front section - this is called an 'overdenture'.

The same overdenture concept when used to treat the upper jaw, will usually require more implants as the bone is generally softer. Implant-supported overdentures, just like conventional dentures are still removed for daily cleaning, however, once back in the mouth, the implants make them much more stable.

Who is suitable for dental implants?

If you have good general health then dental implants will almost certainly work for you. When you first enquire about dental implants it is often in response to an awareness of ongoing dental problems or the recent loss of teeth.

Each of these problems will be diagnosed and treated in a logical manner, and we place implants also in order to establish healthier conditions.

Although it is tempting to focus on the more glamorous aspects of teeth supported by implants, basic dental health, which includes the treatment of gum disease, repair of decay and the elimination of abscesses will be just as important for the long-term success of your treatment.