Top-Quality Care
Dental Implants in Toronto and Merewether
Dental Implant Services
If you're missing teeth and are hoping to gain back the functionality and aesthetic appeal of a full smile, don't hesitate to get in contact with our dental professionals at Pearl White Dental in Toronto or Merewether today.
Who Needs Dental Implants?
Dental implants are an excellent solution for individuals with missing teeth as they are permanently fixed in the mouth for complete functionality and comfort. The implant crowns are carefully created to match in with you existing teeth to achieve a most natural and cohesive look.
Who Should I Call for Implants?
If you're looking for a solution to help bring your smile back to 100 percent, please get in touch with our team at Pearl White Dental to discuss the best course of action for your unique dental needs. Our staff looks forward to working with you soon.
Dental Implant Procedure
A dental implant procedure is a dental procedure to replace a missing tooth/teeth. Unlike dentures, which are false teeth that you can easily remove, dental implants are placed in your jawbone and are fixed. They cannot be removed so the feeling is far more like a natural tooth.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium screw. It is put into the jaw where the missing tooth’s roots were. Over a period of months bone grows around the implant(osseointegration), this tightens the implant and makes it very strong.
An artificial tooth, or crown, is then attached to the titanium screw to fill in the gap left by the missing tooth. The crown is specially made to look like your other teeth in size, shape and colour.
Dental implants can also be used to hold a dental bridge
or dentures in place.
When Might a Dental Implant Be Needed?
If you have one or more teeth that are missing, having a dental implant might be an option for replacing the missing teeth. In general, a dental implant might be suitable if you:
- have a fully grown, healthy jawbone
- don’t have conditions that affect bone healing
Your dentist/dental specialist will discuss with you whether a dental implant procedure is suitable for you.
What Happens During a Dental Implant Procedure?
A dental implant is usually done in stages over 4-5 months, with a series of appointments.
- You’ll need scans and x-rays to give the dentist/ specialist a very clear picture of where to place the implant.
- You’ll have a minor operation to have the dental implant placed in your jawbone. This is usually carried out in the dental office under local anaesthetic but where multiple implants are placed usually a general anaesthetic is required. This option will be discussed with the patient at their consultation appointment.
- You will wait for approx. 4-5 months while the bone grows around the dental implant and osseointegrates (fuses to the jaw).
- Once the implant is stable, your dentist will create a foundation for your new porcelain tooth. Your dentist/specialist will take impressions of your mouth to make the artificial tooth.
- Finally, the porcelain tooth or teeth are screwed or cemented into the foundation.
How Do I Find Out if I am Suitable for a Dental Implant/s?
An initial appointment is arranged to carry out a thorough examination of your mouth and the area where the teeth are missing, to see whether you are suitable for implant treatment. At this appointment x-rays will be taken to determine the bone depth and width. Estimates of costs will be given and also possible alternative treatments that will vary in costs and outcome. These alternative treatments may be more suitable than implants in your particular case.
HOW DO I Determine Who is Suitable To Do My Implant Treatment?
There is an enormous amount of information on social media and search engines about dental implants. A lot of this information will guide you to sites where bargain treatments are available but it is important you realise dental implants are surgical procedures and the experience and training of the practitioner is in my view the most important factor in determining a good outcome.
Questions I Should Ask Any Dentist Before Dental Implant Treatment is Commenced
Any practitioner with good training and experience in placing dental implants should be happy to answer your queries such as:
- How many implants have you placed?
- How long have you been doing dental implant treatment?
- What is your overall success rate with dental implants?
- What implants do you use and how long has that company been manufacturing Implants?
- Which university did you receive you dental/medical degree?
- What post graduate dental implant qualification have you got?
These questions will give you a good idea of the level of training and experience of the practitioner. Remember, vague replies such as,” I’ve done lots of implants or I’ve trained in America” will not give you the information you require. Lots of implants may mean two or three, and trained in America may mean only a two day course.
In Australia there are strict guide lines on qualifications that are written next to the name of the practitioner on letter heads. These qualifications are deemed relevant by the Australian Dental Association. For instance, a weekend course on dental implants cannot be added as a qualification.
See below the response from Dr Charles Macdonald at Pearl White Dental of the above questions.
OUR TREATMENT Philosophy AT PEARLWHITE DENTAL
It is not our objective to persuade people to have implant treatment if we do not feel it will give you as the patient the best treatment outcome. Years of experience tells us that there are many different treatment options and these have to be tailored to meet the needs and expectations of you as the patient of our practice.
About Dr Charles Macdonald
Dr Charles Macdonald graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
Charles has over 15 years' experience placing dental implants. He obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Dental Implantology from the University of Sydney. Charles regularly attends implant workshops and lectures on the latest implant technologies. Over 15 years he has successfully treated many implant cases ranging from replacement of single teeth to full mouth implant rehabilitation. Charle’s surgical training means that in over 95% of cases he will place the titanium screws (implants) and also he will place the porcelain teeth over the implants. It is important patients realise that in a lot of cases the dentists will not place the implants (particular in more complex cases) the dentist will refer to another surgical specialist for this work, this means two or more practitioners are treating the patient rather than just one. With Charles, treatment from the initial consultation to the final placement is carried out by him. He therefore oversees the whole process from start to finish.
Charles prides himself in delivering the best outcome for his patients.
1. How many implants have you placed?
-320 at the time of writing
2. How long have you been doing dental implant treatment?
-15 years
3. What is your overall success rate with dental implants?
-Over 90%
4. What implants do you use and how long has that company been manufacturing implants?
- Zimmer Biomet 3I have been manufacturing implants since 1987
5. Which university did you receive you dental/medical degree?
-The University of London (King’s College): Batchelor of Dental Surgery
6. What post graduate dental implant qualification have you got?
-The University of Sydney: Graduate Diploma in Implantology
Please note under Australian Law medical patients’ glowing testimonials on websites are prohibited. No such law exists in a lot of overseas jurisdictions, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, such testimonials should be treated with caution.
