Dental implants

The next best thing to real teeth

Restore your confidence and your smile with affordable dental implants that look and feel completely natural.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are permanent, artificial replacement teeth that mimic the look and feel of normal teeth. They are anchored into your jaw, so you don’t need healthy teeth to support them. Dental implants can replace one, several, or all of your teeth. The implant process comprises three parts. A titanium post is placed into your jawbone, which emulates the root of the tooth. After a period of healing, during which you wear a temporary restoration, we add an abutment that mounts onto the post, and attach a colour-matched ceramic crown to the abutment.

What do I need to know about dental implants?

If you are looking for the most natural permanent solution for missing teeth, dental implants could be the right choice for you. An implant won’t come loose like dentures can, and it’s stronger than a bridge. Not only do implants look and feel much more natural than dentures or bridges, but they also help to maintain the structure of your jaw. To be eligible for dental implants, you need healthy gums and enough bone to support the posts. If you lack adequate bone, there are surgical options to restore it. If your gums are unhealthy, you may require periodontal treatment first. Dental implants are subject to consultation.

What other treatments are available?

Depending on your situation, some of the following treatment options might be recommended to transform your smile.

An attractive woman smiles confidently, showing her healthy and strong teeth after a visit to dentist, Dr Dave Richards, of Natural Smile Dental St Heliers, Auckland.
The luxurious, clean, quality Natural Smile Dental clinic in St Heliers, Auckland provides dental and cosmetic services using advanced technology for a stress-free dentist visit.

Common questions about dental implants

  • On average, getting dental implants takes from three to six months. Most of this time is spent waiting for your bone to integrate with the titanium post. Once that process is complete, the implant will be extremely strong and stable. The actual treatments only take an hour or two per tooth.

  • Dental implants have a wide range of benefits. They look and feel natural, improve your facial appearance by preventing bone loss, distribute your bite force evenly, enable you to chew and speak normally, stop your other teeth from shifting, can’t get misplaced like dentures, and can last a lifetime with proper care.

  • Natural Smile’s gentle dentists will ensure that your implant procedures are totally painless. We’ll use a local anaesthetic to numb the area that is being worked on, and do everything we can to keep you comfortable and relaxed. You may feel some temporary discomfort after the procedure, but that should be easy to manage by eating soft foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication.

  • Dental implants are extremely strong and are the most durable tooth replacements available. They are made of titanium and ceramic or porcelain. In most cases, a dental implant will be stronger than your natural teeth.

  • With proper care, your dental implants should last up to 25 years. As with natural teeth, you should follow a good oral hygiene routine to keep your implants clean and gums healthy. Continue to brush twice a day and floss daily, avoid biting hard objects or foods, and attend your regular dental check-ups to keep your implants in top condition.

  • In Auckland, an implant and the accompanying crown can cost more than $6000, but we can often do it for much less than that, thanks to our advanced CEREC technology. The overall cost of your implants will depend on the health of your gums and jawbones and whether they require treatment first. Come and have a chat with us about implants to get an accurate quote for your treatment.