Dental
Implants

We will thoroughly treat your gum disease before commencing implant therapy !

Are you contemplating dental implants because of loss of teeth from gum disease ? It often comes as a complete surprise when you are told that you have gum disease because this condition does not necessarily cause pain. Teeth can become loose quite suddenly without an adequate hygiene programme in place. In every mouth several hundred species of bacteria co-exist, some which cause  advanced gum disease and some are responsible for serious infections around dental implants.

To protect your investment in dental implants, this risk of dental implant failure needs to be minimised.

This is a cross section of a tooth and gum to show you the debris and bacterial infection just under the gum-line. These accretions need to be thoroughly and professionally  cleaned by your hygienist.

It is also vital that your implant surgeon puts into place a very tight professional hygiene programme. This will  reduce infection and minimise progression of gum disease around teeth and implants. Dental Implants can be placed after a period of disease stability has been achieved. The implants themselves need to be cleaned as the accretions form around the implants as well. You will be taught how to use some special oral hygiene tools around your teeth and implants to ensure your investment in dental implants was well made.

Before you embark on your dental implant journey it is very important that our implant surgeon identifies your risk for gum disease. Scientific studies show that if you have lost teeth due to severe gum disease, you will be at increased risk of having implant infections as well. The implant surgeon must identify disease around the remaining teeth, and treat this by referral to a hygienist or a periodontist (gum specialist) before starting your implant treatment.

In depth assessment

When a tooth is lost many practitioners will simply advise replacement of the root with a titanium cylinder. This is not best practice. The prudent practitioner will delve deeper and attempt to understand why the root was lost or broke in the first instance. There may have been many mechanical factors that put excessive pressure on the root that would have caused breakdown. Even if a root was decayed or had a dental abscess  there were likely to have been further mechanical reasons why the root eventually broke. It is also possible that you lost your tooth because of gum disease. It is very rare for gum disease to affect a single root, and there is every possibility that there is still untreated gum disease in your mouth. If an implant is placed in the midst of teeth that have gum disease then it is only a matter of time before which the implant becomes infected and suffers a severe infection which results in loss of much bone and the implant itself.

Mechanical and biological assessment

Within our dental implant clinic we carry out a thorough biological and mechanical assessment.

1. Biological assessment. We carefully evaluate the pockets and bleeding around your gums to ensure that there is no untreated gum disease. If there is then re recommend appropriate gum therapies to stabilise your gum condition before we place dental implants. As part of this biological assessment we consider the impact of your medical health. Individuals with diabetes, those who need to take bisphosphonate drugs or steroids are at increased risk of dental implant failure.
2. Smoking assessment. Dental implants suffer 5-10 times the failure rate in smokers. For those patients who smoke, we endeavour to support you through a smoking cessation programme before considering embarking on your dental implant journey.
3. Mechanical assessment. We carry out a thorough evaluation of the bite. We examine tooth wear, and wear patterns across the teeth and study the soft and hard tissues of the mouth to determine if there is the possibility of clenching and grinding. Some patterns of grinding may adversely affect an implant which is after all a medical grade screw. Adverse and uncontrolled loads on an implant crown will cause screw loosening of components. Significant bite loads can result in adverse remodelling of bone around the implant and eventually failure of integration of the implant to the bone.

Failure of anterior guidance

Some patient suffer gradual chipping and wear of the front teeth and this can cause poor guiding movements of the jaw which result in the back teeth “chattering” against each other. This is called failure of anterior guidance. In this instance your implant surgeon may discuss the benefits of using a high density cosmetic resin to restore the guidance of the front teeth prior to embarking on dental implants. The procedure is painless and can often be carried out without anaesthesia.

Here is an example of one of our patients who required a mouth preparation plan prior to placement of dental implants:

 

So you see – it is not in your interest to simply place an implant without a thorough evaluation of  your social history, medial history, biological risk factors and mechanical risk factors. We will put a treatment plan together to ensure that all needed preparation of the mouth is complete before you embark on placement of your dental implant. This will result in the highest chance of achieving success and a long lasting dental implant restoration.

Before commencing dental implant therapy, your ‘mouth preparation plan’ will consist of:

• Control of gum disease
• Control of decay and abscesses
• Correct the bite when this is worn out

All sources of infection around the teeth and gums must be corrected to minimise chances of  “focal infection”  around the dental implants which will cause these to loosen.

When the bite is “worn out” as indicated  above, this will result in high bite forces against the implant and could result  in fracture of the implant crown or loosening of dental implants. Your mouth preparation plan will consist of removal of worn out fillings and crowns and replacement with “resin composite” build ups to the correct contour with an improved bite which will result in better control of bite forces.  Such a procedure can be completed in 1-2 visits a couple of months ahead of your implant treatment.

We will ensure to plan your case throughly and protect your investment in dental implants. Book your consultation today, and we will provide you with your bespoke  treatment plan.

The Single Implant

When you lose a single tooth this can be replaced with a denture, bridge or a single implant. Dentures do result in plaque and food debris retention, and are not a healthy single tooth replacement option. A bridge is a sensible option when you are not suited to dental implants. The shortfall of a bridge is that the bite force of two teeth is put onto one tooth and this will inevitably reduce the tooth’s life expectancy.

The most common request for implants is replacement of a single tooth which has been lost because of gum disease or mechanical breakdown of a previous filling or crown. It is wise to restore gaps with single implants as this :

• restores the continuity of the jaw and this preserves the bite
• there is less of a tendency for other teeth to start moving which causes food packing and gum disease
• unpredictable tooth movement due to unrestored spaces can cause a poor bite, which can also result in jaw trouble, and breakage of other filled teeth or crowns

The single implant  restores your self esteem, and chewing, and avoids the use of tedious and unsightly dentures. Together with a hygiene maintenance programme, restoring that gap will your oral health and enjoy your wonderful smile again.

The real benefit of replacing a single tooth gap with an implant is the fact that the implant will carry its own load and when it fails will not take another root with it. Other benefits include:

• the implant is made of solid titanium which is very strong. It is unlikely for this to break with normal bite forces.
• the implant will carry its own load and will not be connected to an adjacent tooth
• our ceramic technicians are excellent at making the outside porcelain look very natural and life-like and with careful colour matching and design, the average person .will not be able to distinguish between an implant tooth and a natural tooth.

 

There are some considerations when planning a single tooth implant:

• A bone graft may be required to ensure that the implant is completely covered by bone to minimise the chances of future peri-implantitis (inflammation of the tissues surrounding a dental implant)
• When you possess a significant deficit of bone it is very challenging to mask this and prevent the implant crown  from looking long. This is particularly problematic if you possess a ‘high smile line’ such that all the tissues of your gum shows during normal  speech. Our implant surgeon will discuss this and assess the possibility of reducing the visual impact. Whereas use of bone grafts can help to re-establish jaw bone width, they cannot successfully re-establish lost height of bone.
• The implant surgery will result in some (usually minimal) gum recession around the adjacent teeth and this must be planned for
• Although the components are made of very robust materials, the crown (top part) is held in place by a screw, and over a few years this screw can lose its tightness. As a result, the whole crown will come loose. As long as there is no damage to the various components it is possible to screw the crown back on.
• Although it is possible to manufacture the crown with outstanding aesthetics, the combination of some recessed gum, bone loss causing a tall crown, and a high smile line which reveals all adjacent gum anatomy, sometimes makes the matching of an uper central incisor extremely difficult. When the combination of factors make it impossible to mask in a very high smile, we would design the implant crown with a ‘root effect’ neck to make this blend in to other teeth which have their necks revealed. Alternatively, we would place a ‘pink porcelain’ neck to make the tooth part resemble adjacent gum and not look so long by itself.

You should arrange a consultation with one of our expert implant surgeons who will look at your individual case bespokely, and will advice on the best way to achieve an optimal outcome. Fill out the form below today and one of our treatment coordinators will get back to you very soon.

What is a bone graft?

When you lose a tooth, you can lose the supporting bone for a number of reasons :

• This can be due to bone dissolution as a result of   inflammation from an infected root, typically one that has suffered an infection aorund a failing root canal treatment
• Bone loss due to gum infection
• Bone loss from a traumatic and difficult dental extraction, typically one where bone had to be drilled away to release a root

The net result of the above is loss of vital bone volume which is necessary for a dental implant. Although dental implants come in various sizes, both width and height, it is an oversimplification to match an implant size to the remaining bone, which may be thin.

Teeth at the back of the mouth typically endure heavier bite forces and therefore it becomes increasingly important to preserve a thick jaw bone base to be able to place a wide implant platform. When there is bone loss at the front of the mouth it is very important to replace such lost bone, otherwise the appearance of the implant and associated crown can be extremely poor. This is particularly important in the individual who has a very wide and animated ‘smile line’ and where a front tooth is being replaced. Any difference in shape between the bone and gums of the two front teeth in an individual with a high smile line will be immediately visible and the outcome will be an aesthetic failure.

Bone grafts can be obtained from a number of sources. It is possible to have bone harvested from your own mouth or hip at the time of surgery. For most implant treatments this is unnecessary, and a substitute animal derived bone graft can be utilised.  This saves the discomfort of a second surgical site to harvest bone. Alternatively, a synthetic bone graft substitute can be used. A human allograft can also be used.

• Animal products, called xenografts are cow (bovine), pig (porcine), or horse (equine) derived. These products take much time to resorb and this slow biosubstitution kinetics is important for some large bone grafts
• Synthetic bone products, called biphasic tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite has much faster biosubstitution kinetics and can be used when the native bone scaffold is not overly resorbed/destroyed by former inflammation. Such products are fully synthetic, and can be used in individuals who object to the use of animal products
• Human allograft. This bone is derived from human bone.

All human and animal products have gone through a very controlled manufacture and decontamination process involving defatting with acetone, gamma irradiation and demineralisation. One of the main bone mineral substitutes that we use is made by Geistlich, one of the largest and most reputable  providers of bone substitute products.

 

The various bone grafts are used in several applications to do with dental implants:

• Socket Grafting
• Localised Particulate Bone Grafting
• Ridge Expansion
• Block Graft
• Sinus Grafting
• Use of Growth Factors
• Distraction Osteogenesis

It is very important to receive a professional assessment by our  dental implant surgeon to study the site of future implants, both clinically and by means of use of specialised imaging techniques known as cone -beam computerised tomography. In this way, some key decisions can be made on the clinical necessity of a bone graft and the best option,

For more information, please submit your details to book a free consultation with one of our Treatment Coordinators.

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Socket graft at time of extraction

This procedure is done to minimise the bone loss from a difficult extraction and create a ‘healing scaffold’ for future bone growth and is part of a longer term plan to place one or more dental implants.

Scientific studies with some products have shown that if you fill an extraction socket with dense hydroxyapatite  bone, typically derived from a xenograft (sterilised bone derived from another specie such as a pig, horse or a cow) this fills the socket, acts as a scaffold,  and maintains the bone volume, thus reducing the natural bone shrinkage  that would  occur without that bone graft. If you are thinking about a dental implant soon after an extraction ask your dentist if a socket graft is advisable to preserve your bone. Alternatively, book a consultation with one of our implant surgeons who will conduct a professional assessment and advise you on the desirability and clinical necessity of a socket graft.

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Bone Ridge Expansion (Ridge Splitting)

Bone ridge expansion is variably called “ridge expansion”, “ridge splitting” or “ridge dilation” and is a technique in implantology to improve the width of bone where the jaw is thin, and where the bone has adequate depth. The upper jaw is more amenable to ridge expansion than the lower jaw as trhe outer ‘plate’ of bone in the upper jaw is more flexible than the outer ‘plate’ of bone in the lower jaw.

Ridge expansion does not offer significant benefits when the jaw that has shallow depth unless your implant surgeon considers short dental implants to be suitable for your case.

Where the bone is  flexible, this   can be manipulated with fine instruments to expand the volume (see picture on left).

 

For those sites that are thin which cannot house a traditional size dental implant,  the implant surgeon will initially perform the bone expansion procedure and then use a temporary dental implant to hold the “expanded”  bone site and prevent this site from collapsing. This is a  clever procedure which can offer superior bone volume to sites which may otherwise not have sufficient bone for dental implants or would derive inadequate bone from the application of a localised particulate bone graft.

Ridge expansion can be combined with particulate bone grafting to restore lost volume of jaw bone, and this is a very useful technique to restore lost bony contour.

Pinned Bone Block graft for more difficult sites

When the bone is thin at the front of the mouth, and you require a front tooth implant, the surgeon needs to make a decision if you need:

• a localised particulate (granular) graft
• A procedure to expand the jaw ridge (ridge dilation procedure)
• A bone block graft, and whether we harvest this from a site within the mouth, or whether it would be better to purchase a CADCAM designed block graft made from bovine/porcine/equine anorganic bone

 

Occasionally a localised particulate bone graft will not provide an adequate bone thickness. In this scenario, a very careful surgical procedure is carried out where a small block of bone is harvested from the back of the mouth (picture on left). This plate of bone is then screwed onto the thin part of bone and pinned to the jaw. Special bone screws are used for this procedure (picture above)

Over 4 months this bone fragment fuses with the jaw bone and the now plumper bone site can be used for implant placement.

When you are ready to have your implant placed, in a simultaneous procedure, the bone screws  are removed and the dental implant is placed to complete the procedure.

If an attempt is made to place an implant in a thin jaw, then all the hard tissues (bone surrounding the implant) and soft tissues (gum surrounding the implant) will be thin. This deficit of tissue can be very visible, particularly in the high smile and the post operative aesthetic result will be  disappointing.

Imagine if any metal components were visible across any of the front teeth in the smile below:

• may be necessary to thicken bone at the front of the mouth
• produces a plump site which is large enough for a traditional platform dental implant
• maximises the aesthetics of front teeth where there has been excessive bone loss

Have you have lost multiple teeth? If you are wearing a denture, does this chafe and cause discomfort to the gums. The tooth space  can be restored with a new better denture or an implant supported bridge. It is no longer considered to be acceptable practice to make a tooth supported bridge larger and larger.  Generally  a single tooth space is replaced with a bridge which is held on an adjacent tooth. When you have lost two or more teeth in one area of the mouth, this needs to be restored with:

1. an acrylic (plastic) denture or
2. a chrome denture or
3. an implant supported bridge

Plastic dentures are considered to be temporary solutions even though they can last several years. The acrylic is porous and will hold bacteria and the denture retains by flexing into the undercuts of teeth. These dentures used to be called ‘gum strippers’ by dentists as they  cause damage to the gums if worn for too long. We therefore generally use them as a temporary tooth replacement.

A chrome denture is carefully constructed to minimise damage to teeth and can be used as a long term solution. Compared with an implant bridge, they will move slightly in function, and need to be removed to give your gums a rest. They  are resistant to bacterial penetration. These dentures can be a suitable alternative solution to an implant bridge.

A ‘Single Cantilever’ Implant Bridge

This bridge uses only ONE implant to hold two teeth. This solution is suitable if you have only two missing spaces which are next to each other. The tooth that is directly connected to the implant needs to be the same size or bigger than the ‘suspended ‘ tooth. The single cantilever bridge is not suitable for replacing two large tooth spaces such as two molars adjacent to each other. These really do require two separate implants as shown in the video below, where the missing space is too large for a ‘single cantilever’ bridge:

 

A single-cantilever bridge is a relatively cost-effective implant tooth replacement option as it only requires the placement of a single implant.

A Fixed-Fixed Implant Bridge

Have you been considering dental implant treatment to restore a whole lost segment of dentition ? Have you been wearing a denture, or suffered the lost of esteem and chewing comfort by not wearing anything at all ? Well, you do not need to suffer in silence. Dental implants are a superb and predictable way to recreate and restore lost segments of dentition, by means of a dental implant bridge.

Dental Implant bridges offer several benefits :

• Improved chewing ability by using fixed teeth
• Restoration of your smile and self esteem
• No more unsightly and rocking dentures which rub and irritate, and cause lost of taste sensation
• Preserving the mechanical health of the bite which may offer protection against jaw joint deterioration

For larger prosthetic constructions of the jaw, spark erosion technology would be more suitable and this too is provided by Antwerp Implant Dentistry.

As the name suggests, this type of bridge requires a minimum of two implants which are ideally placed at either end of the tooth spaces. This bridge typically replaces 3 or 4 tooth spaces. As a general rule, the implant surgeon will consider placing an implant in every other tooth space at the back of the mouth. Therefore a 4-6 tooth space replacing one quadrant of jaw will generally require a minimum of 3 implants.

The number of implants that you require and the design of your implant bridge  will be dependent on the quality of bone and size of your tooth spaces.

Special Circumstances

When replacing front teeth where the forces are lighter, it is possible to replace 4 front teeth using only 2 implants. In some cases 6 front teeth can be replaced with two implants, however such cases need careful assessment by your implant surgeon. All the above scenarios require careful professional assessment by one of our expert implant surgeons.

Our implant Surgeon would be delighted to assess your mouth and advice on a mouth preparation plan and appropriate dental implant treatment plan in consideration of a dental implant bridge. If you would like to find out more about this option, you are welcome to book a free consultation with one of our Treatment Coordinators by filling out the form below.

Implant “Overdentures” – Dental Implants  to anchor your dentures !

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For simple over-dentures, we frequently use a system known as the Locator system. This is a tried and tested resilient stud retention system.

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Mini Dental Implants

Mini Dental Implants will provide patients who possess thin jaw bone the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of dental implants and allow stabilisation of old or new dentures, Mini Dental Implants can be retrofitted to a well-fitting pair of dentures. There is typically a requirement to place 6 mini dental implants to stabilise an upper denture and 4 mini-implants to stabilise a lower denture.

The procedure to place mini dental implants is much more straight-forward and economical than the placement of traditional dental implants:

• procedure usually completed in approximately 1 hour per jaw
• costs approximately £2500.00 per jaw
• provides an implant solution when there is minimal bone available

How do Mini Implants work?

Mini-dental-implants have a threaded  root which screws into the jaw bone, and an attachment above which becomes a male mate for a female attachment with an O ring which is housed in the denture. Mini dental implants are approximately half the width of traditional dental implants, but despite this they have adequate  strength when used underneath a denture.

They are most commonly used to anchor a lower denture or anchor an upper denture and free the palate. This enables denture wearers to eat a broader range of foods including that which is chewy and enjoy better nutrition. The anchors also  reduce the worry associated with mobile dentures and the added retention and stability stops them from chaffing on the gum and causing abrasions and ulcers. There is less of a chance of experiencing denture problems with eating and speaking,

The Surgical & Prosthetic Procedure

Placing mini=dental implants are very straight-forward. After local anaesthesia, no incision is required. A single ‘Lance’ drill is used to gently create a hole in the jaw bone. The mini-implants are then screwed into position. The denture is then hollowed around the site of the implants to to hold  female attachment components which snap onto the implants. As the lower jaw will typically receive 4 mini-dental implants the lower denture can become very stable and retentive.

One of our implant surgeons will assess your jaw and inform you about the suitability, benefits and limitations of mini-dental implants. Fill out the interest form below and one of our Treatment Co-ordinators will be in touch soon.

The Spark Erosion Bridge to restore the whole Jaw without bone grafting

The spark erosion bridge is a state of the art restoration which will bring you tremendous quality of life.

If you are seeking one of the most advanced, well fitting, and comfortable implant reconstructions we would recommend the use of the “Spark Erosion Bridge”. This solution is manufactured in Germany  using precision German Dental Technology. The solution is typically for a full mouth makeover/reconstruction with dental implants. The Spark Erosion solution is particularly suitable in situations where you have limited bone volume, and otherwise have few dental implant options. Typically, this solution does not require complex and expensive bone grafting techniques to re-create lost bone.

Spark erosion technology has several benefits over many solutions :

• particularly suitable for restoring a whole jaw back to function
• needs no complex, expensive bone grafting techniques
• is one of the most stable, comfortable and well fitting implant reconstructions
• improves your nutritional health and quality of life immensely

Your dental implant surgeon can assess your mouth to see if your are suitable for this technology, and can show you models to help you see how the technology works. We would also be delighted to introduce you to some of our real life clients whose lives have been literally transformed by having a dental implant bridge fitted.

Book your free consultation today with one of our Treatment Coordinators to help you understand how this technology can transform your life.

 

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For busy people who need to have extensive procedures done in one day, this is possible. Implant placement is pre-planned including the removal of  teeth. The implant positions are planned using a sophisticated imaging technique known as CBCT scanning. A full jaw acrylic (a very hard plastic) bridge is made to fit on the day of surgery. The implant bridge spans a full jaw and is held in place by 4 implants, hence the name “All-on-4”. The technique aims to provide a functional dentition within one day and so the procedure is also called “Teeth in a Day”!

There is no need for the bridge to be mounted  strictly on 4 implants, but this immediate load procedure requires a minimum of 4 implants.

On the day of surgery :

• all necessary extractions are performed
• all implant fixtures are installed in one go using a technique known as guided surgery (typically 4 implant fixtures as in the picture)
• the provisional acrylic bridge is inserted and screwed  onto the implants and this can be used straight away

This procedure is excellent for immediate stabilisation of a full jaw bridge on implants. The acrylic bridge, although very strong, should be considered to be short term i.e. 6 months to 2 years.

Our advice is to consider making a state of the art spark erosion bridge  once all the sockets, and implants have healed to really benefit from one of the best prosthetic technologies in implant dentistry

Guided Surgery for accuracy and safety !

Dental Implant surgery needs to be performed very carefully and expertly by a  competent implant surgeon.

Your implant surgeon will occasionally make the decision to undertake detailed planning with a “guided surgery” approach. This becomes desirable if the surgeon is operating close to the maxillary sinus (an air filled space in the upper jaw), or operating near the mental nerve or inferior alveolar nerve (vital structures in the lower jaw). The purpose of guided surgery is to avoid hitting the air space in the upper jaw or avoid hitting a nerve in the lower jaw and aim to place the implant into good bone.

This will reduce the chances of infection to an implant or causing ‘neuropathic’ complications such as altered and lost sensation due to nerve related damage and injury.

Guided surgery is known to be accurate up  to 1 mm, and can be used to minimise surgical complications.

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Bone Growth Factors – State Of The Art in Bone Growth

Have you been told that you have insufficient bone for Dental Implants ? There are a host of techniques and materials to work with or recover a deficient scaffold of bone with view to place a dental implant and you should have a consultation with one of our dental implant experts to discuss implant management strategies rather than assume that implants are not possible.

When performing a bone graft of which ever type, these can be mixed with bone growth factors to improve the bone volume and density. Bone Growth Factors are  proteins or cell fractions which are mixed into the implant bone site. One of the factors we use is called PRGF (platelet rich growth factors).

 

PRGF is harvested from the body by taking a sample of blood and spinning this in a centrifuge for approximately 8 minutes. The blood separates into its component parts:

• red cells
• white cells
• platelets

After centrifugation, the red cells reside at the bottom of the tube and a small  layer of white blood cells (called a ‘buffy coat’) sit above this. The remaining plasma which is rich in platelets forms a column of fluid above the buffy coat. The platelet layer is siphoned and placed in a ‘plasmatherm’ (an oven which holds the temperature  at body temperature)  and this results in the formation of a gelatinous lump, sometimes called a ‘fibrin glue’.

This gelatinous lump can be placed in bone deficient areas to help with bone augmentation. It is filled with a key growth factor called platelet-derived growth factor, and this is one of the principal proteins that assist bone growth. These factors cause cell signalling in bone cells and can result in a large volume of  bone growth within an existing bone graft. To work effectively, it does require a ‘scaffold’ and so a bone graft is placed which is mixed with the PRGF ‘fibrin glue’ that is pulled from the test tube and compressed into a membrane for easier application in the mouth.

Dental Implant Surgeons are also researching a novel growth factor known as BMP-2 (bone morphogenetic protein 2), and this product, when ready for use in humans may eliminate the need for bone grafts altogether.

Distraction Osteogenesis to correct severe localised bone deficits for multiple teeth

If you are about to embark on an implant treatment journey and you have a severe localised deficit of bone, then the more routine techniques described, namely localised particulate grafting, ridge splitting and bone block grafting and the such like with/without growth factors may not enjoy complete success. Traditional bone grafting techniques can achieve some lateral augmentation of the jaw bone but usually cannot achieve vertical augmentation of the jaw bone. Distraction osteogenesis is a technique by which an area of bone is split from its bony base  while retaining soft tissue coverage and therefore retaining the blood supply to bone and the segment is progressively stressed by incremental traction and subsequently moved by a fixed device with two  fenestrated flanges that are separately screwed to the jaw bone.

If you have been wearing a denture (particularly an ill-fitting denture that moves)  for a long time in an area of the jaw which covers several missing teeth, typically 3+ teeth, then chances are that the mobility of the denture will have caused some vertical compression and the jaw bone will have significantly reduced in height. This vertical deficiency will affect a large part of the anterior or posterior jaw. The technique  to correct this is described below:

Step 1

The area of jaw bone that needs to be augmented receives a superficial bony cut to incise the dense outer bone of the jaw, but retaining the softer core of bone. A device known as an ‘alveolar distractor’ is then screwed into the jaw bone with separating fenestrated flanges that screw into the jaw. This distractor has a screw element which is positioned in the mouth. This screw element can be turned and this will result in a slow and progressive ‘distraction’ of the edges of the cut jaw bone.

Step 2

The gum will have been sewn over the cut edges of bone and the mechanical distractor.

Over the course of  3 weeks the progressive traction is undertaken by turning the screw once per day. You will need to present to your implant surgeon every day who will perform this procedure and check that the tissues are free from infection and that the augmentation procedure is working well. Vertical augmentation of bone occurs by traction of the vascularised margins of the cut and separated bone margins.

Step 3

When the required height is achieved after approximately 3 weeks then the alveolar distraction is stopped, the gum is raised, and the free edges of bone have particulate bone and a membrane placed across these to attempt to ensure continuous and even healing of the jaw bone.

Step 4

The site is then left undisturbed to heal for 4 months before a flap of gum is raised to remove the alveolar distractor and place implants in the relevant parts of the site.

The technique described may need to be performed by a maxillo-facial surgeon if your implant surgeon is not experienced with the distraction technique.

An alternative approach to this technique is to accept the vertical discrepancy in jaw bone, and place shorter implants, and then compensate appearance of the shortness of the jaw prosthetically. This is done most of the time.

To help you understand the best technique and options for yourself, fill out the form below and arrange to speak to one of our implant surgeons today who will guide you through these options and the best approach in your case.

Dental Finance

Some of our clients are concerned about the cost of dental implant work. We have partnered with a dental finance provider who can offer our patients a phenomenal service in securing finance for dental procedures. We have managed to negotiate the provision of an interest free loan in return for an annual fee and subject to a credit assessment of your ability to pay off the loan.

How do I apply?

You will need to complete a simple, online credit application which one of our staff can help you with. The information is transmitted to the lender immediately and a reply is usually received by return. You can then either sign a credit agreement that we print for you, or have it emailed for you to complete at home.

How much can I borrow?

You can borrow between £350 and £50,000, subject to status. You must be over 21 to apply, and you must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years.

Do I have to pay a deposit?

A deposit is not required, but if you want to pay one and so reduce the amount you borrow, this is completely up to you.

How much are the repayments?

Obviously, this will depend on the amount you borrow and whether you pay a deposit. Our staff will show you, completely without obligation, the monthly repayments for your particular treatment.

Calculate for yourself the monthly repayments for your treatment by entering the cost in the ‘Chrysalis’ calculator below.

How do I make the repayments?

The monthly payments are collected by Direct Debit, starting one month after you sign the credit agreement, and are subject the usual guarantee from your bank.

When can I start the treatment?

Immediately – as soon as the credit agreement has been signed.

What if I decide that I don’t want the finance?

There is a statutory ‘cooling off’ period of 14 days after signature during which you can cancel the credit agreement with no cost to you. However, if you have started any treatment which would have been financed, you will have to make other arrangements to pay for it.

Who provides the finance?

The finance is arranged through Chrysalis Finance Ltd., a company authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to carry out the regulated activity of credit broking under Firm Reference Number 631193, and the lender is Shawbrook Bank Plc.

Should you wish one of our Treatment Co-ordinators to talk you through finance options over the phone, then please leave your details below.