Dental Implants

Dental implants are the next best thing to having your own tooth. They look and feel as close to possible as your own natural tooth. Dental on Kilmore offers dental implants at our Christchurch city practice.



There are varying reasons people may be missing teeth including from dental disease or trauma, some people may also have congenitally missing teeth. Dental implants can be a great option to replace one or more missing teeth.

Dental implants are titanium screws which are placed in the jaw bone where the roots of a tooth normally would be. Placement of these screws is a specialty area and we work with Christchurch’s best specialists for this part of the procedure. The implant/s are then left to fuse with the jaw bone, through a process called osseointegration, before a crown , bridge or denture is then secured to it.

Normally the appearance and feel of the implants is very close to natural teeth. The implant itself is made from a biocompatible material called titanium which is used for many other prostheses in the body, such as screws in a broken bone. Implants are fixed in position which means they will not move when eating or talking. Implants can be cleaned almost like normal teeth with only a few modifications. Implants cannot get decay and can be treated in isolation to the neighbouring teeth, meaning the neighbouring teeth do not get damaged in the process of having an implant. Having an implant to fill a space stops movement of the neighbouring and opposing teeth.

Implants are technically demanding which means you will need to visit a specialist for planning and placement. They can only be placed in people who have stopped growing. There needs to be plenty of bone to support the implant and this can be challenging in areas where the jaw is thin, sinuses are close, spaces are not wide enough or if the missing tooth has been gone for a long time. In some cases, bone grafting may be required. The process of having an implant placed and restored can take upwards of several months. Implants can fail in those with poor oral hygiene, smokers, diabetics and tooth grinders.

Dental implants can be more costly compared with other tooth replacement options. The cost can vary depending on the number of implants and number of teeth to be replaced, complexity of the treatment and types of materials used. Implants have advantages compared with other tooth replacement options such as dentures and bridges and we encourage consultation to find out what is best for you.

Implants should last a long time, and for many people they may outlast you! However the crowns, bridges or dentures which are secured to implant fixtures may become worn over time and need replacing.

Implants are placed by a surgical procedure which is carried out with local anaesthetic. Patients can be sedated for this surgical procedure if they wish. Having crowns, bridges or dentures made to attach to the implants after it has been placed should be relatively pain free.