If you have been referred to Joe Bhat by your dentist, you’re in safe hands. Joe Bhat is the dental implant surgeon for complex implant cases for more than 300 general dentists across the UK. In fact, Joe Bhat is so skilled that he now only deals with complex referrals, leaving the more straightforward cases to other implant surgeons.

If you are on your way to see Joe Bhat, it means that yours is a complex case, and, as such, you might be rather worried about what the treatment will be like and whether or not it will be successful.

First steps

You have not met Joe yet, but once you have had your initial consultation, you will find that many of your fears and concerns have been resolved. Your first consultation with Joe, and indeed through the treatment process, is very much about getting to know each other and being able to talk through the treatment so that you fully understand and are comfortable with the process, which can take a few months to complete.

What’s involved in dental implant treatment?

Joe will be able to answer all your questions. Dental implant surgery usually only requires a local anaesthetic as there are far fewer nerve endings in the jaw than in the teeth to send messages of pain to the brain. But, if you are anxious about the actual implant surgery, you can elect to have sedation. This will make you very relaxed and peaceful, and you may drift off, but will be easily roused if you need to respond to the dentist. If even this is too much, there is the option for surgery under general anaesthetic as a day patient at a nearby hospital.

After surgery, you will need to spend a day or two in bed recovering, and about a week on a liquid diet. This is to rest your teeth and give the swelling a chance to die down before getting back to chewing. Often there is a healing period of between two and six months, during which the titanium or titanium alloy implants are integrating with your jawbone. This is a vital stage in the implant process because this integration is what gives dental implants their amazing stability.