Having even one gap in your teeth can have a massive knock on your confidence, let alone multiple. It can make you feel self-conscious when speaking to people and can even affect your speech and ability to bite or chew, leaving you to feel miserable. Luckily, there is a solution, and you don’t need to worry about travelling abroad in order to fix your teeth! Getting Dental implants Herefordshire is a state-of-the-art treatment designed to replace missing teeth with natural looking, permanent dental implants that have your smile looking perfect again!
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are small, medical grade titanium screws that are placed directly into your jawbone in order to act as a replacement for your missing tooth root. After it is fitted, the bone surrounding the implant works to slowly fuse to it thereby holding it firmly in place. Once it is in place, the implant acts like a tooth root, being able to permanently support a denture or crown on top of it.
Why should I choose dental implants?
It comes with no surprise that dental implants are increasing drastically in popularity, considering the benefits of having them are endless. Here are just a few reasons why it would be wise for you to opt for dental implants over traditional dentures:
- Permanent – dental implants provide you with a permanent solution to missing teeth as the titanium screws are surgically fixed into the jawbone rather than being removable like traditional dentures, bridges and crowns. This is further secured by the process of the original bone gradually fusing to the implant and allowing it to function like a natural tooth root.
- Natural looking – dentures or crowns can be placed on top of the dental implant, filling any gaps caused by tooth decay or extraction and giving your mouth a more complete and cohesive set of teeth. Additionally, the dentures or crowns that are secured onto the implant will be matched to the remainder of your teeth to make them appear more alike and the false dentures or crowns less apparent.
- Prevention of bone loss – when you lose a tooth, the bone beneath it begins to shrink due to there being no physical activity above it. Over time this can cause parts of your face to droop thus changing your appearance and making you seem older. With dental implants acting like natural teeth, your jaw will continue to be stimulated, and any potential bone loss can be prevented.
- Bone graft – you might be worrying if you can get dental implants because it may be that you have already experienced significant bone loss as you have had missing teeth for quite some time; this can make inserting an implant difficult as it will not have a sufficient amount of bone to fuse around it. If this is the case, your dentist will identify this in your initial appointment through the use of x-rays and scans and can carry out a bone graft prior to the implant surgery to ensure you have enough bone for the implant to be fixed into.
Will I qualify for dental implants?
While dental implants are suitable for most people, there are a few exceptions based on people’s lifestyle habits and illnesses or diseases they may have. This is because certain factors can have an effect on the way the dental implant treatment heals and how the rest of your mouth will respond to the treatment. Factors which may make you an unsuitable candidate for dental implants include:
- Smoking tobacco containing products
- If you have had radiotherapy around the jaw
- If you drink alcohol persistently and take recreational drugs
- If your diabetes is uncontrolled
- If you have active gum disease
What does the process of getting dental implants involve?
The process of getting dental implants fitted into your mouth is generally a quick one however the time it takes for the bone to fuse to the implant post-surgery is quite lengthy and requires a lot of patience. It can take up to nine months for the bone to fuse to the implant however the results are definitely worth the wait. To put it simply, the process involves a consultation with your dentist to assess your suitability for the treatment, then progressing to taking x-rays of your teeth to come up with a treatment plan and to create a model of your existing teeth. The process is completed when the implant is fitted into the gap, and the area surrounding it is stitched up, allowing the bone to grow around the implant and fusing it to the jawbone.