A dental implant acts as an artificial tooth root for missing teeth.
Implants are constructed from fine titanium rods; the dental implant is fit into a pre-drilled socket in your jawbone.
After a period of healing, which gives the implant time to settle, we can implement the new restorative tooth, which enables better function and aesthetics.
How do dental implants work?
Implant dentistry is often the most straightforward solution to restoring the stability and aesthetics of the mouth.
Often, single implants are recommended when a single tooth is lost or if a heavily decayed tooth needs extracting.
As the new “fake” tooth are made of porcelain, notice the differences between natural teeth and implanted teeth.
First, the implant, which is made of titanium, is inserted into the bone, which acts as a complete replica of natural tooth roots (the surgery is very straightforward, taking only a few hours to complete)
However, we cannot load the porcelain crown immediately as we need to wait for a healing period called osseointegration which can take three months.
Advantages include:
- It can protect your gum from plaque, reducing the chances of gum disease.
- A dental implant aims to help support your facial structure and keep your teeth aligned.
- It can help correct an uneven bite, restoring your ability to bite and chew.
- An implant can revitalise your appearance and help restore confidence in your smile.
- It can last for more than 25 years.
How long does implant treatment take?
- The surgery: 1-2 hours per implant
- The healing period: Min 3 months
However, Immediate Implants, also called ‘Same-day teeth’, may also be an option.
The Gentle Dental Care Group is a great option specialising in same-day treatment.
High tech dental implants at affordable rates, starting from £1900 (including crowns)
Missing teeth problems:
A missing tooth can cause several oral health issues:
Eating and chewing difficulties: When your ability to eat and chew is affected by a missing tooth, it can cause your remaining teeth to be overused, reducing their longevity.
Gum disease: Losing a tooth can lead to excessive plaque build-up. If left untreated, you can develop periodontitis, characterised by pockets in your gums opening up and subsequently damaging your jaw bone.
Tooth misalignments: A missing tooth can cause neighbouring teeth to misalign and, in turn, affect your ability to bite. Having an uneven bite will pressure the surrounding teeth and weaken them.
Loss of confidence & low self-esteem: The absence of a tooth can affect your trust and lead to social anxiety, especially if the missing tooth is part of your sociable six (front teeth and four bottom teeth).
The main advantages
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- Produce reliable, durable results
- Titanium screws are the most stable and most robust solution
- The neighbouring teeth are not affected
- No treatment is required for adjacent teeth
- Permanent and fixed
- Extremely likely never to come loose like dentures
- Psychological and low self-esteem issues
- Problems chewing
- Surrounding teeth take on more pressure, making other teeth wobbly or crumble.
- Gum disease can form
- Impair your speech ability
- Loss of bone (you must have sufficient jawbone)
- Neighbouring teeth can drift or move
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