Losing your natural teeth is something that will affect your entire life. The structure of your mouth can change due to your remaining teeth moving in the space that has been left and the bone shrinking. You may even be experiencing headaches, jaw and neck pain.
Losing the crown (the part of your teeth you can see) can have a number of different effects on your life. Aesthetically, it may cause you to be more conscious about your smile and functionally, you will have various general health problems and may be unable to eat certain foods.
There are a number of options available to you to get your natural smile back, implants being a permanent and aesthetically pleasing solution.
WHAT IS AN IMPLANT?
An implant is a small metal pin that is placed inside the jawbone to replace the root that you have lost. A suitable new tooth solution is then added on to the implant (usually a crown or bridge if more than one tooth needs replacing) to provide you with a naturally looking replacement tooth.
Implants are a permanent solution to tooth loss and can truly change your life.
ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR IMPLANTS?
If you have a missing tooth, or missing teeth, you are part way there for being able to have implants. In order that an implant can be placed, we need to make sure that the gum and jawbone are healthy and can support your new tooth. Your mouth will also be checked for any gum disease as this must be treated before an implant can be placed.
Your implant will become an intimate part of your mouth, therefore we need to make sure the conditions are suitable for this new material to fuse with your jawbone correctly not only immediately but for life.
There are other options that you may wish to consider before thinking of dental implants however the end result will not provide you with the same comfort and freedom as implants.
Keep your mouth the way it is - not the ideal solution as your dental health will continue to deteriorate, your bone continue to shrink and your headaches will probably increase. Plus, missing teeth can reduce your self confidence in both working and social environments.
Dentures - an age old solution to missing teeth yet not the most practical or sometimes aesthetically pleasing solution. With dentures, neighbouring teeth may be affected as the adjacent gums will be put under pressure when chewing. You can also experience less than comfortable moments with your dentures if they move or come loose in public.
A dental implant can help you if:
You cannot chew comfortably and efficiently with your conventional dentures
You have lost teeth and don’t want removable partial dentures
You have lost a single tooth and want a single tooth implants rather than a bridge appliance.
You are now wearing a partial or full denture, and would prefer a fixed bridge or fixed-removable appliance.
You currently have no solution in place for your missing tooth or teeth and want a permanent replacement that will look and feel like your natural teeth.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT DURING YOUR IMPLANT TREATMENT?
As with any dental treatment, it is individual to you. The number of implants needed, the treatment time and the treatment recovery- your dentist creates a specific treatment plan for you.
