Implants

At Matrix dental specialists, we strive to preserve your natural teeth. In situations where teeth are missing,  or certain teeth cannot be saved, dental Implants are the preferred treatment option to regain function and confidence beautifully. Our specialists in periodontics and prosthodontics work as a team to structure a solution to suite your individual requirements including time and budget.

At your consultation, you will have a comprehensive examination with a dental specialist, followed by an in-depth discussion of your individual needs and what we can achieve. We will then send you a written report with all the options available to you.As we understand that you may still have questions after receiving the report, we will assist you with all aspects of treatment, from decision-making, financing and coordinating appointments around your schedule. We will also discuss procedures in detail using demonstration models / imaging so you know what to expect and what your recovery may be like.

Dental implants used to be thought of as a ‘last resort’ treatment for people who could not tolerate their dentures. We see it differently and consider dental implants to be the ‘standard of care’ approach to replacing missing teeth, for nearly any situation.We have a great deal of experience in treating patients who have very challenging circumstances and we continue to develop ourselves to implement new techniques, new implants and new treatment concepts to benefit all our implant patients.

To avoid problems later on, there is also a commitment from our patients, to keep their teeth and mouths healthy and protect their dental investment. We will help with the best possible maintenance protocol structured to maintain your smile.Our patients often tell us that our dental implant treatment has been life changing, by improving their appearance, self-esteem and bringing back joy when dining. They are delighted at being able to eat, speak, socialise and have a quality of life they have not had for years. It is astonishing what a difference it makes to life when we rid ourselves from poorly fitting, irritating plastic teeth!

Dental Implants are like artificial ‘tooth roots’ made of biocompatible titanium or zirconium that are inserted into the jaws to support one or more missing teeth. The implants therefore forms the foundation under the gums, which support the prosthetic teeth above the gums. Dental Implants are also very effective in stabilising loose or uncomfortable dentures that impair speech and eating.Dental implants are successful in most healthy adults; however, smoking, certain medications and underlying disease may affect their survival. For this reason, our MDS specialists carefully review all aspects of your medical history and current state of health. Implants vary in a number of ways including  their design, dimensions and material properties.An important consideration for consumers  is that there are number of  Dental implant Manufacturers and brands available for use in South Africa. Some of these brands are cheap imports who copy the designs of more established International brands.These cheap imports often do not comply with international medical standards,  do not have warranties and have. At MDS we only use established international brands who are CE and FDA approved and maintain an international warranty.MDS we select the implants according to your unique clinical and 3D imaging studies. These biocompatible devices, resembling a screw, are surgically inserted into the jawbone by our specialist periodontist.The biologic process known as ‘osseointegration’ takes place in which the implant and bone fuse together over a period of at least 3 months. During this time, the conventional approach is to leave the implant buried under the gum to allow bone fusion. However, the MDS team are specialists in modern techniques known as “immediate loading”. This term simply means that, in selected cases, temporary teeth are placed directly onto the implant immediately or within 48 hours. Book a consultation and allow us the honour of restoring your smile.

In certain cases where there has been extensive infection, or missing teeth have caused the tooth supporting jaw bone to shrink , bone and gum may require reconstruction. These Grafts provide sufficient tissue to support and maintain the implant as well as to improve appearance and ease oral hygiene. A Sinus Lift is required when the amount of bone separating the maxillary jaw from the sinus air space is too thin to anchor an implant. With the advent of modern biologic engineering, many bone replacement graft materials are available for us to use according to your specific case requirements. The source of these “biomaterials” are discussed in detail during your free treatment planning discussion.After treatment with Dental Implants, maintenance and professional hygiene is of fundamental importance. This is an ongoing important commitment if you are to avoid implant problems later on.

The MDS team incorporate digital dental technology to enhance our diagnosis and planning of your implant surgery and restoration. Our in house 3D imaging systems provide us with so much more details of each patient’s unique anatomy. The information allows our team to plan your implant restoration and draw up transparent cost estimates before we begin treatment. Once you understand and accept your treatment plan, we use this data to produce the 3D Printed surgical guides making the entire process faster, less invasive and more accurate, which means you heal more rapidly and have a fantastic result.

If you have one or more missing teeth, a single implant or implant supported bridge is an effective solution that will also help preserve your remaining teeth and bone. A single implant looks and functions like your own tooth.Replacing a single missing tooth is a highly conservative treatment with the implant and its crown implant appearing as a normal tooth and without the need to “cut down” neighbouring teeth. The alternative non-removable tooth replacement option, “a tooth supported bridge” would require teeth adjacent to the gap to be “cut down” and shaped to support a bridge.The single implant procedure itself is often straightforward and it is best to allow us to plan your implant before you have your tooth removed. This will provide you with more options and often will save you money over time.

If you have lost multiple teeth, an implant-supported bridge is an option. Instead of replacing each missing tooth with an implant, strategic positioning of implants allow them to support multiple teeth. For example, two implants can support a bridge to replace three or four teeth. The decision is based upon specific case details including your biting force, habits and condition of bone support. Once again, treatment is highly conservative as it is not necessary to prepare teeth to support bridgework; the implant construction simply replaces the missing teeth without further compromising any remaining teeth.

The “All-on-X” Implant technique may be an option and will help you regain your quality of life. This treatment is often referred to as “Teeth in a Day”, “Smile in a Day”, or “Same Day Smile”. If you are a suitable patient, the implants and a temporary full arch resin bridge can be fitted on the same day or within 48 hours.The technique uses a minimum of 4 implants in strategic positions per jaw to make use of the available bone, protect nerves and avoid extensive bone grafting procedures. Prior to your surgery, our prosthodontist will begin the process of “designing your smile” so that, if appropriate to your treatment, you can have a functional temporary bridge fitted a few hours after your implant surgery. The temporary bridge is fitted to allow time for bone and tissue healing which is usually about 3 months. During this period, you will meet with our prosthodontist to refine your final restoration, which will be a beautiful and robust bridge based on a ceramic or titanium structure. Are you tired of your uncomfortable dentures? Struggling to keep your dentures from falling out of your mouth: Implant supported dentures offer more stability, comfort and retention.

The gum and jawbone were never ‘designed’ to support dentures. Typically, dentures rest upon the gums, and any remaining teeth, and for many patients, dentures will adversely affect these tissues. In time, the bone will shrink, and the gum covering the jaw will become frail which can lead to the loss of more teeth. Inevitably as these supporting tissues are lost, the dentures become less steady and more difficult to wear. This loss of tissue causes the denture to irritate to the gums, increases the risk of the dentures slipping out,  causes difficulty in chewing, creates unwanted sounds and most of all, patients lose confidence.

Placing implants to support and retain a denture will offer much more stability and predictability to denture treatments. The added support improves comfort, denture retention, helps to retain the jawbone bulk and most importantly allows you to smile, eat and speak with confidence! At MDS, we consider using just 2 implants with stud attachments to support your full dentures as a minimum standard of care! With our excellent laboratories and specialist prosthodontics, we will carefully construct beautiful dentures to complement your face. This treatment can be used as a first stage to planning both the position for implant bridges and over-dentures. If you already have a beautiful denture, the implants can be added and your existing denture adapted to accommodate the attachments.

We are able to help patients who are referred to us with implant problems for advice, treatment, or re-treatment. Peri-implantitis is an issue that is becoming more common, simply because more and more patients have been treated with dental implants. The condition is very similar to gum disease around teeth with resultant loss of bone (Periodontitis). Sadly, we often find that the cause of the implant problems these patients have is as a result no maintenance, the use of low cost and inadequate implants or implant components, or improper design of the restorations fitted to the implants!

At MDS we want patients to have an improved quality of life from their treatments, which is why our Implant treatments only use high quality implants and implant components which are internationally available and certified, thus making them highly successful and rarely subject to failure. We also ensure that our patients understand the commitment they need to make in maintaining their implants with regular hygiene and check-ups.

Other contributing factors to Implant Failure

Implant failure is a little more common at the back of the mouth, where the jawbone tends to be ‘softer’ and there may be less bone available. Implants that fail outright usually do so before the final crown and bridgework restorations have been completed. Other factors that increase the chance of implant failure and peri-implant problems are: Habitual clenching or grinding teeth (‘bruxism’) which can cause bone loss around implants Smoking – someone who smokes may have poor bone quality and a poor healing capacity, and that can mean that an implant simply does not ‘take’. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes can have slower healing rates, which can inhibit osseointegration. A patient who is not in the best state of health, taking specific medications or has dental or gum problems near the implant, can be more prone to having problems with their implants. Long term, many of the problems are often due to lack of maintenance and professional hygiene care. When there is substantial bone loss, it usually leads to complete failure of the implant and restoration. This can make re-treatment more complicated, but we will endeavour to find an appropriate and effective solution.