Dental Implants Glasgow

When you visit our Glasgow dental clinic we try to give you as much information as possible about implant surgery and always take time to help you understand the importance of aftercare and routine hygiene. We will advise you on the best dental implants for your situation and make sure we spell out the cost of implants and your finance options.

Once your implants and surrounding soft tissues are seen to be healthy and your new teeth are comfortable and correctly adjusted, it is the quality of your home care, and willingness to present for regular maintenance reviews, that will most influence how long they will last and whether you end up with a healthy smile.

Danger of gum infection

When poorly cared for, implants develop a covering of deposits similar to that found on neglected natural teeth. Left untreated, these can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort, just as can occur around natural teeth.

We often say tooth implants, much like natural teeth, will last for as long as you care for them.

Care and maintenance

Well-maintained implants, placed into adequate bone, can be expected to last for many years. However, just as with other surgical implants such as hip replacements there is no lifetime guarantee.

Once successfully placed, integrated and restored, they should provide many years of satisfactory appearance and function. We provide you with up to date percentage success rates to assist you in making an informed decision.

Cleaning after tooth implants

Long term results of this type of cosmetic dentistry are dependent on good oral hygiene, regular professional cleaning and monitoring as advised. Patients should clean between their teeth and implants once daily, in addition to normal brushing.

This interdental cleaning should be with floss or interdental brushes. Without regular checkups, hygiene visits and X-rays (to monitor bone levels), patients risk the long term health of the gums and bone around implants.

Smoking and its effects on your replacement teeth

This is a key issue in implant dentistry. We often discuss the effect of smoking on teeth generally but more specifically nowadays on implant healing.

While some dentists report that there is a small increased risk of an implant failing to integrate, the major effect of smoking is on the long-term health of the gums around the implants.

Smokers and gum disease

We certainly see an increased incidence of gum disease around implants in smokers and this mirrors the effect of nicotine on the gums around natural teeth. This is something you must be aware of and smokers run the risk of increased long term failures. The best advice is always to stop smoking.

Smoking cessation often involves nicotine replacement. Unfortunately nicotine in any form is detrimental to gums and bone when used for a sustained period.

What to do after implant surgery

Our implant patients tend to experience only mild discomfort after surgery and the dentist will always give instructions on how manage any pain which might occur. Here are a few other recommendations for patients who have just had implants:

• Rest for the first 24 hours after you get home and avoid strenuous exercise.
• Sleep with an extra pillow under your head for a couple nights to reduce any swelling.
• You could hold an ice pack, carefully, over the are to reduce swelling. Do this for five minute at a time but for no more than an hour so so for two days after surgery.
• Try to avoid alcohol for two weeks after the operation as it might impair the healing process.
• Also avoid hot drinks for the first 24 hours after the surgery.
• It is permissible to use warm water to rinse your mouth, gently, after your meals.
• It is better to avoid brushing your teeth over the implant area for a week or so.
• Do not poke at the implant area with your tongue in case you loosen any stitches.
• As far as food is concerned, go for soft foods in the first week.

However these are general post-surgery recommendations. Check with the dental clinic team after your own implant surgery.

Why and how often do implants fail?

Implant surgery generally has a success rate of better than 95% over 5 years according most current clinical research. Of course that still means 5% are failing within that time.

Over recent years we have seen success rates in our Glasgow clinics increase slightly to around 97%. We have placed several hundred implants over the last ten years - long enough to see a few failures in amongst all the successes.

We are very fortunate that last year we had absolutely no failures of implants. We didn’t remove one single fixture as a result of infection or pain or any issues at all.

However our stated aim is always to ensure that we replace any failed implant free of charge within the first year. And if it integrates well beyond that first year there tend not to be problems.

Replacing dental implants over time

In the case of a failing implant it is usually possible to replace it after a few months and this will normally be done (within one year of placement) at no additional cost to you.

It is extremely rare for two successive implants to fail and if failure occurs it is usually in the first or second year.

Implant integration

Dental surgeons in our clinic prefer to wait until they are confident of implant integration before restoring it in order to secure the best prognosis for your new tooth.

Once integrated and functioning, the overall research shows that you have in excess of a 90% chance of any implant still performing well after 25 years. Implants are therefore a long term and predictable treatment option, often for a lifetime.

Risks of implant treatment

There is around a 20% risk of swelling +/- bruising following implant surgery and a slight risk (of 1%) that an adjacent tooth can be damaged leading to requirement of root canal treatment. This compares to a risk of 20% during crown or bridge preparation.

When working in the lower molar area there is a chance of damage to adjacent nerves. This can cause temporary numbness or pain and is very rarely permanent. A scan is advisable when bone levels are limited in this and other areas.