Dental Implants in Hamilton

How we plan an implant case

Implants succeed or fail on the planning. Before we place anything we do a 3D cone-beam CT scan of the area to see the bone height, bone width, the position of the inferior alveolar nerve in the lower jaw, and the floor of the maxillary sinus in the upper jaw. We measure the available bone in millimetres and plan the implant length and angle around what is actually there, not what is convenient.

For most cases we use a surgical guide printed from the scan. The guide drops over your existing teeth and tells the drill exactly where to go and how deep. It is the difference between a precise restoration and one that ends up at the wrong angle, which is a problem you only discover months later when the crown is being made.

Brands and components we use

We work with Dentsply Sirona Astra Tech dental implants. The Astra Tech system has decades of long-term outcome data, a well-established prosthetic library, and components a future dentist anywhere in Canada will be able to source if a screw ever loosens or a crown needs replacement ten years from now. Choosing a major, well-supported system matters more than people think; boutique or no-name implant systems can cost less up front but leave you stranded if the manufacturer disappears.

For the connection between implant and crown we use titanium or zirconia abutments depending on the aesthetic zone, and we cement or screw-retain the crown depending on the case. Screw-retained is easier to repair later if the porcelain ever fractures.

When bone grafting is part of the plan

If a tooth was lost more than a year or two ago, there is usually some bone loss. A small graft (autograft from the area or a particulate xenograft) placed at the same visit as the implant is routine. A larger ridge augmentation or a sinus lift is a separate procedure done a few months before the implant.

If your scan shows good bone, you do not need grafting and we will not recommend it.

Full-arch options for patients missing many teeth

For patients losing or already missing most of their upper or lower teeth, the choice is usually between a conventional denture, an implant-retained denture that snaps onto two to four implants, or a fixed full-arch bridge supported by four to six implants (often called All-on-4). The fixed option feels closest to natural teeth and never comes out. The snap-on option is a major upgrade from a conventional denture at a more accessible price. We walk through every option at the consultation along with what your scan can actually support, and share a written estimate before any treatment.

Implant maintenance and what can go wrong

The biggest long-term risk to an implant is not the implant itself, it is the gum and bone around it. Peri-implantitis behaves like gum disease around a natural tooth. It is silent in the early stages and can lead to bone loss if not caught. Patients with implants need a hygiene visit every three to four months for the first year or two and at least every six months after that, with a probing check and an annual X-ray on each implant. We use plastic or titanium scalers around implants, never stainless steel, because steel scratches the implant surface and gives bacteria a place to grip.

Insurance and CDCP for implants

Most private dental plans cover the crown portion of an implant (typically 50 percent) but vary widely on the surgical placement. We submit a pre-authorization with the CBCT and treatment plan so the insurer responds in writing with what they will pay. CDCP does not currently cover implants in most cases, though they cover the underlying extraction if a tooth needs to come out first. 0% financing is available for whatever insurance does not cover.