Are dental implants right for me?
Dental implants can be an ideal permanent solution to missing teeth. With a perfectly natural look and feel, dental implants can have you speaking, eating and smiling with confidence again.
Our Principal Dentist, Dr David Le, completed a graduate diploma in implants at the University of Sydney, where he now mentors and tutors dentists who are currently learning the skill themselves. He has transformed many patients’ lives with this permanent solution for missing teeth.
A consultation with Dr David Le can help you determine if dental implants are the right option for you.
Dental implants Bella Vista
What to expect during a dental implant procedure
The dental implant procedure usually takes a couple of appointments spread over a few months. It’s one of the longest and most in depth dental procedures, however, it delivers excellent and permanent results that can be life changing.
The procedure for getting dental implants may vary slightly from one patient to another. Though, generally, this is what you can expect:
Initial consultation: Your dentist begins by first understanding your goals in seeking an implant to ensure our treatment objectives are aligned and we can best satisfy your needs. Your dentist will complete a questionnaire on your medical and dental history and complete a thorough clinical examination of the site and surrounding areas. We proceed by taking an x-ray to get a thorough look at your jaw and neighbouring bone. This is an essential step to make sure the area is clear of infection. It also allows your dentist to accurately plan where to place the implant.
At this appointment we can answer any of your questions and concerns and will also provide you with a treatment plan that will outline the costs and expected sequence of appointments. Depending on your health fund, you may also complete a claim on the spot that will indicate your expected rebate, and therefore your out of pocket cost. We can also provide payment plan options which allows that balance to be paid in increments of periodic payments.
Implant placement: Your dentist places a tiny titanium screw into your jaw. This part is done under local anaesthetic, so once the area is numbed - you won’t feel a thing. Patients are often surprised by how comfortable the procedure is! There is some localised tenderness and a few stitches at the implant site, but nothing over the counter pain relief can’t help you manage. Patients often report comfortably going to work the next day!
The waiting game: We review you and your implant periodically over the next few months to ensure healing. Typically full integration occurs at three months - but everyone is different depending on their needs. It’s imperative that the gum and tissue surrounding the implant integrates and recovers before the next steps are taken.
Time to prepare a tooth: Once your dentist is sure the site is healed we prepare the area to have a crown placed on top. As an added benefit of keeping our technology up to the date, the appointment is simply an intraoral scan. We send the scan off to a lab technician who colour matches and delicately designs and fabricates your customised tooth!
Time to fit the tooth: When you arrive for your crown placement, we try it on for you to try before permanently placing it - If you and your dentist are happy, then we cement the crown, leaving you with a fully functioning tooth again!
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Where to Find Us
There is convenient free onsite parking available onsite within the Lexington Corporate business complex. Disabled parking is located close to the entrance of our practice.