If you have a missing tooth or teeth it might be impacting the way you talk, smile and eat. Perhaps it has been bothering you for a while and now you need to do something about it, or maybe you have recently lost a tooth and feel as though part of your smile is missing. Whatever the circumstances, dental implants are a popular and effective solution to replace missing teeth.
What are dental implants?
A dental implant is a titanium screw placed into the jawbone to support one or more false teeth. Dental implants effectively replace the missing tooth roots and provide a platform upon which to support crowns, bridges or dentures.
After the implant is fitted it takes a little while for the surrounding bone to fuse with the implant, but once this is done it provides a very stable base to attach false teeth to. The treatment is usually carried out over a couple of appointments - the first one to fit the implant itself and then several months later, the permanent teeth can be fitted on top of this. There are also more convenient and faster solutions available such as All on 4 dental implants which use four implants to support a non removable arch of teeth in just one day. Please click here to find out more about All on 4 dental implants.
How can implants improve your smile?
Dental implants can improve your mouth in many ways, but firstly and most importantly, they can improve the way your smile looks. By choosing crowns or dentures that are the same colour and size as your surrounding teeth, any gaps in your smile can be filled in a natural looking way so that it is virtually impossible for anyone to know that one or some of your teeth are not real.
They are the closest thing that us dentists have to replacing real teeth and because they look so natural and are so well fixed, they can bring you confidence and allow you to show off your smile again.
Unlike dentures, implants are a permanent solution so you don’t have to worry about taking them out at the end of the day or having them fall out when eating certain foods.
Having implants fitted won’t negatively impact on your speech and will give you the confidence to eat what you want again without having to worry about the pain and discomfort of food debris getting stuck in the gaps between your teeth.
Are dental implants painful?
Dental implant treatment is generally not painful as the procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic. If you are particularly nervous about dental treatment then we may recommend sedation to help get you calmly through the procedure. You may experience mild pain or swelling around the implant for up to 10 days after the procedure, but this can be treated with over the counter painkillers as recommended by your pharmacist or dentist. If the pain persists then it is a good idea to get in touch with us as soon as you can just so we can check everything is healing as it should be.
Where to find more information
As with all dental treatments, implants aren’t for everyone so the first thing you’ll need to do is book a consultation with us, so we can assess whether dental implants are suitable for you and what outcome you can expect.
After talking through your options and seeing the laboratory where your teeth will be made, we’ll provide you with a written treatment plan with proposed costs so you can go away and think about it.
If you do go ahead, know that you are in very safe hands, as Dentalia started life as a dental laboratory, so we have the knowledge and experience to deliver the best and most natural solutions to missing teeth. To find out more about dental implants please call us on 01256 353033, send us a message out of hours or ask at your next check up appointment.
