Dental Implants Willoughby

A gap where a tooth used to be rarely stays a small problem. Neighbouring teeth can drift or tilt into the space, the opposing tooth may over-erupt, and chewing tends to shift to one side of the mouth. For people wearing an older partial or full denture, the daily routine of adhesive, rubbing and food trapped underneath can take the enjoyment out of eating. St Leonards Green Dental offers dental implants for Willoughby patients from our clinic on Christie Street, a short drive from Penshurst Street.

An implant is a small titanium or similar biocompatible fixture that sits in the jawbone in place of a tooth root. Once the bone has bonded to it, the fixture can carry a single crown, an implant bridge or a denture that clips into place. Whether an implant is the right answer for your gap depends on your bone, gums, bite, general health and budget, which is what a consultation is designed to work out.

Willoughby is a suburb of long-settled households. Separate houses make up the majority of homes across the 2068 postcode, and around one in six local residents were aged 65 or older at the 2021 Census. In a community like this, many people weighing up implants have dental work that dates back decades: a bridge that has started to fail, a tooth under an old crown that can no longer be saved, or a denture that has loosened as the gums and bone beneath it have changed shape.

In these situations, the decision is often less about filling one gap and more about planning the next twenty years of a mouth. A failing bridge may be replaced with a new bridge, with implants, or with a combination. A loose lower denture is a common candidate for implant stabilisation, because even two fixtures can noticeably reduce movement for some patients. Our dentist will look at the whole mouth, including teeth that are still sound, before recommending where implants would genuinely help.

Implant treatment is spread across several appointments, usually over a number of months. Knowing the sequence in advance makes it easier to plan around work, family and other commitments.

The first visit is an assessment. We review your medical history and medicines, examine the teeth, gums and bite, and take digital X-rays or a panoramic image to look at the bone where the implant would go. If gum disease, infection or a damaged tooth needs attention first, that becomes part of the plan.

On the day of placement, the area is numbed with local anaesthetic and the fixture is positioned in the bone. Sometimes a tooth is removed, and the site is left to heal before an implant goes in. After placement, the bone needs time to grow onto the implant surface, a process called osseointegration. A temporary tooth or your existing denture can often be used during this period.

Once the implant is stable, impressions or scans are taken, and the final crown, bridge or denture is made by our partner dental laboratory, then fitted and adjusted. Review visits follow to check the bite, gums and how you are cleaning around the new tooth.

Placing an implant is a surgical procedure with possible risks, including infection, nerve irritation, sinus involvement in the upper jaw and the implant failing to integrate. Our dentist will discuss these with you, along with expected healing times and the alternatives, before any treatment is booked. Some cases need referral to an oral surgeon or periodontist.

Because implant treatment involves several visits, an easy trip matters more than it does for a single check-up. Willoughby sits on the opposite side of the Gore Hill Freeway from St Leonards, and for most residents the drive across to Christie Street takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes, depending on traffic and where in the suburb you start. Street parking is available near the practice.

If you prefer public transport, Artarmon Station on the western edge of Willoughby is one stop from St Leonards Station on the T1 line, and our clinic is a short walk from the St Leonards platforms. Buses also link the Willoughby area with Chatswood, where you can change to a train. The Transport for NSW trip planner will give the most accurate route from your street.

We open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday visits are available by appointment, which can help when an implant review needs to fit around the working week.

Implants are placed in adults whose jaws have finished growing, so patients under 17 are generally given a temporary solution until development is complete. Beyond age, the main questions are whether the gums are healthy and whether there is enough bone in the right place.

Bone often shrinks after a tooth is lost, particularly where a gap has been left for years or a denture has been worn for a long time. Reduced bone does not automatically rule implants out, but it may change the design or mean that additional procedures or a specialist referral are needed.

Smoking, diabetes that is not well controlled, some osteoporosis medicines and certain other conditions can affect healing. Please tell us about every medicine you take, including supplements and anything prescribed by a specialist, so our dentist can assess risk properly and liaise with your doctor if needed.

Local anaesthetic is used so that the area being treated is numb. Each person’s experience is different, and we cannot promise that any procedure will be completely free of discomfort, but our dentist uses a minimally invasive approach where it is clinically appropriate.

After placement, some soreness, swelling or bruising around the site is common for a few days. You will receive written aftercare instructions covering eating, cleaning and pain relief. Please contact us promptly if pain is increasing rather than settling, if bleeding continues, or if swelling spreads.

For nervous patients, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is available at our clinic, and we work with an IV sedationist for selected procedures. Any form of sedation requires an assessment beforehand to confirm it is safe for you.

Implant fees depend on how many fixtures are needed, the type of restoration, the imaging involved and whether extra procedures such as an extraction or bone grafting are required. After your assessment, you will receive a written, itemised estimate for your plan.

St Leonards Green Dental currently offers dental implants at $3,999. Please contact us to confirm what this price includes, whether it applies to your situation and whether the offer is still available. Additional costs may apply depending on your treatment.

Some private health insurance extras policies pay a benefit towards parts of the treatment under major dental, but limits and waiting periods vary widely, so ask your fund about the item numbers on your estimate before you start. Payment plans are available through Zip Money, SuperCare and Humm, subject to their approval criteria, fees and conditions.

Our practice has been caring for families on the Lower North Shore since 2008, and some of our patients now span three generations. Principal dentist Dr Nazila Nosratieh has led the practice since 2019 and brings more than twenty years of experience, with a Doctor of Dental Surgery and a PhD in Oral Biology.

Two dentists and a team of dental assistants work at our clinic, which is equipped with digital X-rays, a panoramic X-ray unit and dental loupes for magnified examination. Our crowns, bridges and dentures are made by a local certified dental laboratory whose technicians have more than 30 years of experience, use Australian-made products and follow Australian Dental Association standards.

Having general dentistry, emergency care, crowns, dentures, orthodontics and cosmetic treatment under one roof means your implant plan can be coordinated with the rest of your dental care. Where a case needs specialist input, we arrange an appropriate referral.

Willoughby sits in the heart of the City of Willoughby, between Chatswood and Northbridge. Its shopping strips along Penshurst Street, High Street and Mowbray Road serve a community that includes young families, long-time homeowners and a well-established Armenian community. Willoughby Park and the local schools, including Willoughby Girls High, help anchor the neighbourhood.

Alongside Willoughby, we see patients from Artarmon, Lane Cove, Greenwich, and Northbridge.

* Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

There is more than one way to replace missing teeth, and an implant is not the right option for everyone. A consultation gives you an accurate picture of your bone and gum health, the choices available to you and what each would involve.

Contact St Leonards Green Dental to arrange an implant assessment for Willoughby patients, or call 02 9438 4352 to book.