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How Do Implants Work?
Dental implants are a tried and tested method of tooth replacement and have been successfully used all over the world for several decades. At Seapoint we have placed thousands of implants with fantastic results. We are the largest provider of dental implants in Dublin/Ireland.
A dental implant is a replacement for the root part of the tooth. It is shaped specifically to transmit the forces from chewing into the jawbone. Different implants are used in different parts of the mouth but they are generally all made from titanium. This material is biocompatible, the body does not recognize it as foreign and so will not reject it as it would other metals.
An implant is gently placed through the gum into the jawbone and typically allowed to heal for a few months. In this time the bone will normally grow on to the roughened surface of the implant and attach to it. Once the bone has healed we are able to make crowns on top of the implants to give you the closest replacement to a tooth possible.
Some implants are used to secure dentures instead of providing a tooth. We call these click-tite dentures and in this case the implant has a special attachment placed on it which matches one in the denture. The denture will then click securely on to the implant and no longer be loose in the mouth.
For implants to be successful it is necessary that they be placed correctly and looked after well during the healing phase. Success rates have been proven to be higher for experienced dentists like we have at Seapoint.
For best success you should be in good general health and clean the implant properly. Smoking has been shown to increase complications and failure of dental implants and so is best avoided. Age is not itself a reason not to get implants and we have successfully placed implants for people in their 90`s.
