MEDICAL AID
ACQUIRING BENEFITS FOR YOUR PROCEDURE FROM YOUR MEDICAL AID.
Once you have received your referral letter from your dentist/ medical practitioner, bring all your X- rays and referral letter to our practice, during office hours, and a provisional estimation/quotation will be performed, for you to submit to your medical aid for approval of your procedure. If you don’t have X- rays, X- rays will be performed when you bring in your referral letter. A small administered tariff of R100-00 will be charged for all the administration involved in compiling a quote and to send the quotation to you.
This estimation/quotation is only to speed up your approval from your medical aid, and a formal consultation will in all circumstances apply, at which your estimation / quotation can be changed.
Association & Partners:
Dental Implants
Please see Video and Photo Gallery for practical examples...
What is a Dental Implant
A dental implant is a Titanium screw placed into the jaw bone after tooth removal or tooth loss.
There are different types of implants, ranging from 2 mm in diameter to 10 mm in diameter.
Each and every one has its own indication.
Tooth loss & Implants
It is worldwide recognized that after a tooth is lost, this tooth needs to be replaced immediately with an implant.
In some cases, an implant cannot be placed simultaneously, and in these cases, socket preservation will be performed to enhance implant placement after bone/ socket healing after 4 months.
Complications as a result of tooth loss
1. Abnormal masticatory function resulting in general health problems (stomach aching etc. )
2. Bone loss. The supporting dentoalveolar bone falls away due to functional loss. This will eventually necessitate a bone graft before an implant can be placed. In the edentulous patient, this results in the patient unable to wear a denture.
3. A collapse of the bite and loss of vertical dimension of the face, resulting in TM joint problems. This could lead to osteoarthritis of the TM joints over time.
4. Patients with tooth loss on one side of the mouth will function
(chew) on the opposite side, resulting in overuse of the opposing teeth, which will eventually result in tooth loss on that side as well. This will result in TM joint problems as well.
Immediate placement of an implant:
This is the immediate placement of an implant after tooth removal. This procedure is usually accompanied by a bone graft.
Immediate loading of an implant:
This is the process where after tooth removal, an implant is placed, and a temporary crown is placed on the implant. This procedure is predominantly done in the aesthetic zone area, which is in the anterior maxilla. Immediate loading can only be performed in cases where the primary stability/ torque is high. Very seldom is immediate loading performed on back teeth.
Progressive loading of an implant:
This is the process where an implant is placed, and exposure or loading of the implant cannot be performed immediately. This is usually done on back teeth and in cases of very low or weak primary stability or weak torque. In some cases, the implant will be covered, and only exposed after a 3-4 month period. In this case, another small surgical procedure will be performed in the chair, and an implant component will be placed. This will entail another surgical expense.
PROGRESSIVE IMPLANT LOADING
Dentectomy with the simultaneous placement of implants.
This procedure involves the removal of all teeth and the placement of implants simultaneously. The patient needs to present a full upper or lower denture on the day of the operation. This denture will serve as a stent for the placement of implants simultaneously. The implants will extrude through the gum, and will temporarily support the denture. In some cases, mini or temporary implants are placed to provide better retention of the denture. Very seldom are dentectomies performed without the placement of implants. This is due to the bone loss which occurs after tooth removal. Your denture will have to be relined regularly by your dentist. Depending on the number of implants placed, your denture will either be supported by over-denture abutments or by a mesio- bar. Your denture could even be fixed on your implants in the form of a hybrid structure.
Guided surgery:
In this case, after a Cone Beam CT scan is performed in our rooms, a guided stent is printed in 3D, implants are placed with the stent. In some cases, immediate loading and immediate placement of bridges can be performed. (Teeth in one day).
GUIDED SURGERY IN IMPLANTOLOGY
The sinus lift procedure:
The sinus lift procedure involves the lift of the sinus lining, to create a space for bone grafting. This is usually necessary in the posterior maxilla in cases of tooth loss with bone resorption resulting in insufficient bone volume for implant placement. The sinus lift can either be an open window or a punching procedure. Bone grafting materials, mixed with fibrin or bone, is placed and is left in place for 6- 8 months to mature. Only after full maturing of the graft in the sinus, can implants be placed. Due to the sinus cavity involved, patients are informed not to blow their noses for 10 – 14 days.
In some cases, an implant can be placed simultaneously (provided bone is sufficient)
THE LATERAL WINDOW TECHNIQUE.
SUMMERS TECHNIQUE.
BONE GRAFTING MATERIAL.
Various materials are used, ranging from the hip bone ( Iliac crest) to synthetic products mixed with PRP (Fibrin). The various options of bone grafting material will be discussed with you if you are in need of a sinus lift.
OVERDENTURES