Dental Implants - a holistic dental perspective

Dental implants are small titanium screws that can be placed into the jawbone. They have two functions.

• to provide a platform on which to construct crowns or bridges to replace missing teeth.
• to preserve the bone from eroding away after teeth are lost.

Dental implants can be used to replace both single and multiple teeth, and can also be used in association with removable dentures to anchor or improve the stability of the dentures.

Ask a Question

Dental implants have a very high success rate and longevity.

Placement of an implant to replace a single tooth when compared to placing a fixed bridge offers many advantages including:

• preserving tooth structure on the adjacent teeth, which would have to be reduced to support a fixed bridge.
• allowing better access for cleaning between the teeth when compared with a fixed bridge.

Dental implants can be a better restorative alternative to root canal treatment and the subsequent restoration in a heavily broken down tooth.

Full mouth reconstructions supported on implants instead of full upper and lower dentures can provide results comparable to natural dentition. This can be achieved in either of two ways:

• by placing implants to which fixed bridges are attached.
• by placing implants which can support removable dentures.

Specifically, some of the benefits of dental implants include:

• Improvement of appearance
• Restoration of normal eating and speech
• Improved denture retention

Ask a Question

Dental implants have been used in dentistry for 30 years. Research has shown that 90% of dental implants can expect to last for 25-30 years if excellent oral hygiene is maintained.

Ask a Question

1. Metal Sensitivity is rarely considered but is still a potential problem of dental implants

There are three ways in which we can deal with metal sensitivity:

i. WE REFER TO VARIOUS MEDICAL AND NATUROPATHIC PRACTITIONERS FOR ELECTRO-DERMAL TESTING

• Electro-dermal computerised screening techniques help to identify and treat health problems both in the mouth and the body in general.  
• Measuring electrical channels along meridians allow for individual health problems to be analysed and underlying causes can be identified.

ii. KINESIOLOGICAL MUSCLE TESTING

iii. MELISA

• Metal Hypersensitivity (allergy) is a complex phenomenon whose characteristics are still not completely understood. MELISA is a blood test, which has been scientifically and clinically evaluated to objectively diagnose cellular hypersensitivity (type IV allergy).
• MELISA can identify a hypersensitivity reaction, which can be triggered by substances such as titanium, gold and other metals, including mercury used in mercury amalgam fillings (see amalgam)

People sensitive to these substances have been found by the MELISA! Test to suffer from local and systemic reactions. (see Metal Allergy)

2. What is your general health status? A compromised immune system can compromise the success and longevity of dental implants. A general health assessment is very important to the long-term prognosis.

Its also interesting to view the meridians on which the proposed implant is to be placed. Sometimes there are surprising connections. See our Meridian Tooth Chart.

3. Why was the tooth lost in the first place? Research has shown that is the tooth was lost because of periodontal disease or tooth infections that the prognosis for long-term survival is compromised. The reasons why the tooth was lost may not have changed, i.e. gum infection, smoking, poor oral hygiene. These can all have a significant effect on the success of implants.

Ask a Question