With over a decade of experience, Dr. Leanne Branton stands as a seasoned expert in implant dentistry, earning recognition with the prestigious Diploma in Implant Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Her unwavering passion lies in delivering stunning outcomes within the aesthetic zone for her patients, a commitment she sustains by harnessing the power of digital technology.
Dr. Branton is not only an accomplished practitioner but also a dedicated educator, frequently sharing her knowledge through captivating lectures on the subjects of digital dentistry and dental implants. She plays an integral role in academia, annually contributing a comprehensive unit on Digital Dentistry as part of the MSc in Restorative Dentistry curriculum at the esteemed University of Plymouth.
Dr. Branton’s dedication to advancing the field and sharing her expertise ensures that her impact extends far beyond her clinical practice, enriching the broader dental community.
Dental implants consist of two parts:
They act as permanent teeth, and do not need to be removed once they have been fitted.
It is perfectly understandable to consider carefully the cost of any serious investment. Whilst the cost of implants is a lot to spend on your mouth, it is down to each individual patient to decide if the improvements to quality of life are worthwhile. At Southside Dental Care we only use premium implant materials and we only ever prescribe treatment that is necessary. As with anything, there are cheaper implants and different levels of care available elsewhere, however, we feel that for this level of investment you deserve the very best.
This is one of the most common concerns for people thinking about having an implant. When carried out by an experienced clinician, most dental implants are very straightforward to place, and can take less time than a root treatment. However, more complex cases may take longer.
The majority of implants are placed under a normal dental local anaesthetic. Though the local anaesthetic injections can sting a little, and most of us have experienced dental injections in our mouth at some time, once you are numb, you will not feel anything sharp or painful at all throughout your treatment. You will feel some pressing and pushing during the procedure as well as some vibration during the drilling stage, but this will not be sharp or painful in any way and your dentist will check to make sure you are completely numb before starting the surgery.
For bigger procedures, such as multiple implants or complex cases, sedation can be provided. Sedation is not a general anaesthetic, but makes patients feel very comfortable and relaxed, and they rarely remember much about the procedure afterwards which is an advantage for many nervous patients.
In some cases it is possible to have teeth extracted and immediately place implants into the extraction sockets. You can even then have temporary teeth added onto these implants. There are a few factors which can make it necessary to wait for healing after tooth removal, before an implant can be placed and you will be carefully assessed to decide on the more predictable treatment for your individual case. If we need to allow a healing phase it is normally between eight to twelve weeks. Do not worry – you never need have a gap if you do not wish to have one. There are all sorts of temporary solutions to make sure there is no embarrassment at any stage throughout the implant process.
If the treatment is straightforward, it can be a little as eight to ten weeks from placement of the implant to fit of the final crown. However, sometimes treatment can take longer depending on the level of complexity of your case, with some patients not finishing for up to a year. The exact time frame will be explained to you following your assessment.
If you look after them properly, implants can last as long as your natural teeth. You will need regular maintenance appointments to care for your implant properly to get the maximum lifespan out of it and reduce the risk of infection. The tooth on top will need replaced approximately every 10 years.
Any surgical procedure can have complications and dental implants are no exception. When an implant is placed, your bone then needs to grow onto and fuse to the implant, in a process known as ‘osseointegration’, if it is to become a firm foundation for a crow. If this doesn’t occur then the implant fails. At Southside Dental Care, in the unlikely event that your implant fails within the first 12 months we will replace the implant completely free of charge. We have found that a second failure is exceptionally rare.
Yes we can. You do not need one implant per tooth and can actually have as few as four implants to replace all of the upper or lower teeth. There are a variety of options for the type of bridgework supplied, which can either be removable by you or fixed in place.
Absolutely. Traditional dentures normally move when eating or talking and can have a serious effect on a patient’s confidence. Complete (full) dentures can be held in position with as few as two implants, making this a cost effective dental transformation.
