PATIENT EDUCATION

 

Locate an implant clinician... Cape Town Eastern Cape Free State Johannesburg Kwazulu Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga Namibia Pretoria

 

Download Patient Education from DFS

 

Download Patient Education from Zimmer

For more than two decades, dental implants have been used successfully with people just like you - a safe, medically proven alternative that delivers confident living. By working with Zimmer Dental, your doctor can offer you the most advanced implants and prosthetics available today. Unlike dentures and bridgework, implants are a solution proven by experience to last for many years. They look and feel like your natural teeth, and eliminate the worry of slipping or coming loose.

What Is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a small "anchor" made of titanium. It is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root. After Osseointegration, or when the surrounding bone has attached to the implant, a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant. The new tooth looks, feels, and performs just like your natural teeth. 

 

Dental implants can be used in a variety of situations, whether you need to replace a single missing tooth or many teeth. They can even be used to replace a full denture. As anchor points, implants can also securely attach a partial denture or bridge.

 

Benefits of Dental Implants

Choosing implants from Zimmer Dental offers you a number of significant advantages including:

• More healthful and beautiful: When teeth are missing, the surrounding bone begins to shrink. This unhealthy bone loss can make your jaw line recede. Dental implants can help prevent deterioration of the jawbone caused by loss of teeth, so your face retains its natural shape. 
• As an alternative to bridgework, dental implants eliminate the need to grind down healthy teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth. 
• More comfortable: Because dental implants are securely anchored, there is no slipping or movement as there is with dentures. This eliminates some of the key worries of dentures, including poor fit, gum irritation, and pain from exposed nerves. 
• More confident: With dental implants, you will never need to cover your mouth when laughing, smiling, or speaking. You can eat your favourite foods without pain or fear of embarrassment - and taste every bite. You will look better, feel better, and live more confidently.

 

Are you a candidate?

If you're healthy enough to have a tooth extracted, you're probably healthy enough to have an implant - whether you’re missing teeth is the result of injury, disease, or decay. General good health and adequate bone in the jaw are the key requirements. Your doctor can tell you if implants are right for you.

 

Procedure

The dental implant process involves several steps that take place over a time period that averages from four to nine months. The typical process will include:

• Initial implant placement: This procedure is typically performed in your dentist’s office under either a local or a general anaesthesia. Your doctor places the implant into your jaw. Over the next several months, bone will attach to the surface of the implant anchoring it into position. Depending on your particular case, an additional minor procedure creates an opening through which your artificial tooth will emerge. 
• Implant prosthetic attachment: During this phase, your dentist painlessly attaches a prosthetic "post" from Zimmer Dental to the implant. A simple impression will be taken and over the next few days an artificial tooth will be created for a functional natural restoration.

 

Conclusion

Since dental implants look and feel like natural teeth, they naturally enhance your appearance. More importantly, the securely attached implant gives you the confidence of eating what you like, speaking easily and clearly, and freedom from embarrassment. And, by following a regular routine of careful oral hygiene and regular checkups, your implants can last for many years.

 

To find out if implants are a solution for you, ask your doctor to evaluate you today.

 

 

Download more information about MDL Mini Implants

MDL Mini Implants

How do Miniature Dental Implants work with denture wearers?

Miniature Dental Implants are placed easily and simply into the jawbone. Their small size affords a number of advantages: Minimum trauma to the implant site, no need for surgical preparation, and immediate stability upon completion of placement. The top of the mini implant consists of a "ball" head which projects above the gum. Anywhere from two or more implants are placed, depending upon the dentist's analysis of the case. Once placed, either a new denture has been already fabricated or the patient's old denture may be used. Female retention caps are inserted into the inside of the denture and positioned to snap over the "ball" head of the implant. This greatly enhances retention, reduces denture movement and facilitates eating and speaking. Thousands of grateful patients all over the world have been blessed with this effective, easily placed, economical dental system.

 

What about Mini Implants. What are they? How to they differ from regular implants?

Miniature Dental Implants, or "Mini Implants" have become increasingly popular during the past decade. As of today, they are used extensively throughout the world. Miniature dental implants have a number of advantages when used properly. Their small size allows them to be placed in-between full sized implants during a full-mouth rehabilitation case. An esthetic, functional provisional bridge can then be made. In addition, miniature dental implants are also used to replace missing front teeth where the space between the missing tooth and the adjacent teeth will not permit the placement of a full-sized dental implant. Lastly, the miniature dental implant gains its retention in a different manner than standard sized implants. The small, screw-shaped miniature dental implant wedges itself and expands the bone as it is inserted. Upon the completion of insertion, the elastic properties of bone create an intimate contact between bone and fixture, thus rendering it extremely solid and stable upon placement. This allows it to be used to immediately replace a missing tooth or to stabilize loose dentures. The patient can walk out of the office comfortable and functional after just one visit.