Dental Implant Information

The information in this section of the website is intended to provide an overview of routine dental implant treatment and is provided courtesy of the Association of Dental Implantology UK.

Treatment plans involving dental implants are unique for each individual and accordingly the timing, cost and delivery of care will be customised to suit. Each of the people providing your care will have their own preferences for the way that a particular course of treatment is delivered and may therefore suggest alternatives or variations that are not included in this information.

What is a Dental Implant?
Almost all dental implants in use today are made from titanium or titanium alloy, materials that have been shown over many years to be well tolerated by bone. The terms 'osseointegrated implants' or 'endosseous implants' are widely used to describe dental implants that can develop and maintain a close union with bone in order to support replacement teeth.

There are many different implant systems available and when
competently used they can all deliver a highly reliable form of
treatment.

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. If an implant has a screw-thread on its outer surface it can
be screwed into position and if it does not, it is usually tapped into
place. 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.

In order to support replacement teeth, dental implants normally have some form of internal screw thread or post space that allows a variety of components to be fitted. Once fitted, these components provide the foundation for long-term support of crowns, bridges or dentures.

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