Dental implant surgery can either be performed in-chair at Fremantle Implants, or in a theatre setting at Southbank Day Surgery in South Perth.
Adjunct surgical procedures, such as bone grafts, may be performed at the same time as the implant placement.
Choosing the Best Approach
The choice of one or two-stage surgery primarily depends on how best to reconstruct the soft tissue around the lost or extracted teeth, and how to maximise osteointegration. Both of these are key factors for the long term success of your implant.
We can help you understand your options, and recommend the best approach for your specific situation.
Contact us today to book your initial consultation or to find out more about dental implant treatment and how it could improve your quality of life.
The implant is surgically placed in the jaw bone and underneath the gum. The implant will become the “root” of the replacement tooth.
The experience, skill and sensitivity of the practitioner are critical when placing the implant. The implant is screwed into place with a specialised torque-controlled drill to avoid overloading and damaging the surrounding bone.
Overloaded bone can die; a condition called osteonecrosis. The implant may then fail to fully integrate with the jaw bone. Bone loss may also occur around the implant.
An inexperienced dentist may damage the bone cells in the implant site due to overheating from a high speed drill. The bone may then not regenerate and lead to bone loss around the implant.
The gum, or a healing cover screw, will protect the implant while it is healing.
The healing period is between three to six months. This is determined by the bone density at the implant site.
The second stage involves revealing the implant by cutting open the overlying gum, so that a healing abutment can be placed on top of the implant.
The healing abutment prepares the way for the final abutment which will connect the prosthesis to the implant.
The healing abutment is exposed above the gum. The gum is allowed to heal around the abutment to form a cuff or collar.
A temporary prosthesis, if one is used, can be attached to the healing abutment at this stage. This temporary prosthesis is for aesthetic reasons only and not functional. The abutment needs to be protected from chewing forces during this period to assure effective bone integration and healing.
The practitioner will also take this opportunity to check the implant for successful integration with the jaw bone.
In some cases such as a single tooth implant, it is possible to place a healing abutment at the same time as the implant.
The healing abutment is exposed above the gum and will protect the implant during healing.
The healing period is between three to six months.
This has certain limitations but can eliminate the need for a subsequent surgery to expose the implant and place the healing abutment.
When a tooth is extracted, a dental implant can be placed into the site immediately. This means we don’t need to wait for the site to heal first before performing a separate surgery to place the implant.
Doing it this way not only shortens the treatment time, but it can also improve aesthetics because the soft tissue is preserved.
Implants placed this way can have a slightly higher rate of initial failure because the bone of the extraction site won’t have time to strengthen up before the implant is placed.
Instead of an implant, a bone graft is sometimes placed inside the hole left by the extracted tooth to maintain bone volume. When this has integrated with your jaw bone, the implant will then be placed in a separate surgery.
We offer a range of anaesthesia options such as gas (nitrous oxide) or IV (intravenous) sedation. For your safety, we always use a qualified anaesthetist.
General anaesthesia is only used in a theatre setting whether there is a supporting team of surgical staff.
Dr Chan is accredited to operate at Southbank Day Surgery.
Dr Henry Chan has been an advocate of dental implants since 2006 as a way of fundamentally improving the quality of life for his patients. He has devoted his professional life not only to the study and practice of implant placement, bone and sinus graft surgery but also to advanced biological therapies.
His extensive specialist education continually exceeds the state’s requirements and he has completed postgraduate courses in London, Paris and Brazil. He is one of few that hold a Masters of Oral Implantology from the prestigious Goethe University in Frankfurt.
Local anaesthetics are drugs that temporarily stop any sensations in the area they are injected into. Once an area is numbed, you won’t feel anything until the numbing agent wears off.
Inhalation anaesthesia (applied through “laughing” gas) and twilight sedation (applied through an intravenous drip) create a sense of detachment from the activities around you and in your mouth. You don’t go to sleep. But you also don’t care about or remember what happened.
General anaesthesia knocks you out completely. It is like falling asleep. It is done in a surgical suite with a full theatre team.
Local anaesthesia is the injection of numbing agents directly to the site of the procedure.
The level of discomfort is usually very minor. It can vary depending on the patient and the location of the injection.
We always apply a topical swab first used to numb the surface of the area to make injections even more comfortable.
Local anaesthesia is used for almost all reparative, restoration and surgical procedures such as fillings, crowns, extractions and implants.
The numbing effect of local anaesthesia typically dissipates within a couple of hours. Long-term side effects are extremely rare.
If you only have a mild apprehension of needles or dental procedures, a milder alternative to twilight sedation could be inhalation sedation. This is achieved by breathing in nitrous oxide gas (laughing gas) during the procedure.
The gas is colourless, odourless and generally safe. It induces a mild state of euphoria, warm sensation, and wellbeing.
No. There are no side effects with the use of inhalation sedation when administered properly.
The euphoric effect of inhalation sedation wears off pretty much immediately after the gas supply is turned off. You will be able to drive and function normally within 5-10 minutes of coming off the gas.
Twilight sedation is also called sleep dentistry or IV sedation.
Twilight sedation (also called sleep dentistry or IV sedation) uses an intravenously delivered sedative to induce a deeply relaxed, but still conscious, state.
A pulse oximeter (a small sensor) will be clipped to either your earlobe or finger to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen level.
Normal local anaesthetic will still be administered to block the pain.
Although twilight sedation is generally very safe, there is always an element of risk with any medical procedure. This is why we always have a fully-qualified anaesthetist administer the IV drugs and monitor your wellbeing throughout the entire procedure. You are never left alone.
There are some special arrangements you need to take into account – such as organising a family member or friend to take you home after the procedure. See Twilight Sedation Instructions.
No. Twilight sedation is not the same as general anaesthesia.
Although twilight sedation is also called sleep sedation or sleep dentistry, you are not actually put to sleep like general anaesthesia. Twilight sedation is not as risky as general anaesthesia. You will be able to respond to requests made by the dentist.
No. Like twilight sedation, you remain fully conscious.
You can still respond to the dentist’s requests, but are just not bothered by what is going on.
Memory loss can accompany sedation dentistry as a (positive!) side effect of the sedation drugs. Any memory loss is only confined to the period of the sedation process. You may not remember the procedure.
There may also be a sense of disorientation for a while after the procedure. This is normal.
You do need to arrange for a family member or friend to accompany you home after a sedation dentistry appointment. You will not be able to drive or operate machinery for at least 24 hours. See the Twilight Sedation Instructions to prepare yourself for a sedation dentistry appointment.
Twilight sedation is perfect for patients who have severe phobias about needles and dental procedures. IV sedation not only removes your anxiety and fear, but also enables the procedure to proceed much faster.
For complex procedures like oral surgery and dental implants, we usually recommend sedation dentistry as a standard part of the procedure.
To maximise your safety, we always use an anaesthetist to administer twilight sedation and monitor your wellbeing throughout the procedure.
Although twilight sedation carries less risk than general anaesthesia, it is not 100% risk-free. Hence the dentist should focus on the procedure while the anaesthetist looks after your sedation.
We have several qualified and experienced anaesthetists we use.
If you think you will benefit from twilight sedation, we can help you understand the benefits and risks.
Appointments with our anaesthetists are subject to their respective availability. Your chosen anaesthetist will usually require a pre-appointment consultation with you. This is normally done via a phone call.
Surgery is performed in-chair at our clinic.
If general anaesthesia is required, surgery will be conducted at Southbank Day Surgery.
We assess each patient’s suitability for in-chair surgery before offering it as an option.
Your safety is paramount. Dr Henry Chan is qualified to perform surgery. Our nurses have the experience and training to assist in surgery. And we always engage a qualified anaesthetist to administer IV sedation and monitor your wellbeing throughout the procedure,
Our facilities and equipment sterilisation processes comply with the standards recommended by the Australian Dental Association (ADA), the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHS), and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
Depending on the nature of your scheduled surgery, you will receive specific instructions and medication schedules you need to follow in the days leading up to your appointment. Please follow these carefully.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ANY questions, or if you have not received these instructions. Your safety and wellbeing is of the utmost importance.
Tel: (08) 9368 7344
Email: admin@southbankdaysurgery.com.au
Address: 38 Meadowvale Avenue, South Perth WA 6151
Website: www.southbankdaysurgery.com.au/
Depending on your level of insurance cover, your health fund may fully cover your theatre and anaesthesia fees.
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