We all dread losing our teeth. This is more likely to happen as we grow older and wear and tear takes its toll, but it can happen at any age, whether from neglect, through an accident while playing sports or perhaps a fall. When it does happen, the first question is whether to replace those lost teeth or not.
Most people will replace a missing tooth if it is at the front, simply because it would leave a very visible gap. Some people choose not to replace a tooth towards the rear that is less visible though. However, this is a mistake as tooth loss can lead to bone degrading in that area which can also cause some changes in the shape of the jaw and ultimately your face. Where a gap is present, adjacent teeth may also encroach into that area and can lead to your smile becoming crooked.
As you can see, it is always a good idea to replace a missing tooth, but does that mean that you have to resort to wearing dentures?
While dentures have improved over the years in both appearance and design, the basic design flaws are still there. Dentures usually sit on your gums and are held in place by suction and/or denture adhesive, sometimes with the aid of clips. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always mean that they are as secure and stable as we would like them to be, and eating some foods can be quite challenging. This is even more likely as bone loss occurs and changes the shape of your jaw.
Movement of dentures can also be embarrassing if they visibly move around in the mouth and can cause speech issues too. Little wonder then that patients of the 103 Dental and Implant Practice are turning to teeth implants for a stronger and more secure tooth replacement option.
When people speak about implants, they tend to be referring to the whole replacement tooth. Strictly speaking though, the implant is only the part that we place into the jawbone. This acts as a secure ‘anchor’ onto which a crown is placed via an abutment.
So, in effect, what we say is a dental implant, is really a three part tooth replacement and we will take a look at this in more detail now.
Before any treatment can take place, it is necessary to have an initial consultation with us. We will also take scans and x-rays to make sure that there is sufficient bone available for the implant to be placed into. Most people are suitable immediately, but for those who aren’t, there are prior treatments available to correct this, including a bone graft or sinus lift. We will look at these separately in another blog coming soon.
Providing that you are a suitable candidate and, after discussion, wish to go ahead with the treatment, an appointment will be made for you.
During your treatment, you will be given a local anaesthetic to make you comfortable during the procedure. A small incision is then made into the gums and a small hole drilled into the jawbone following scans for an exact and safe placement. The thought of having this done might frighten some people a little, but it should cause no more discomfort than many other dental procedures do, and the local anaesthetic helps to minimise this too of course.
Once this has been done, the implant can then be placed and will then need time for the implant and the bone to fuse securely together in a process known as ‘osseointegration’. This can take approximately three months and will require you to take special care of the area, cleaning it cautiously as well as eating foods that won’t damage the implant. We will discuss this during the initial consultation.
While this might seem a long period of time; when the implant and bone have fused together, in effect becoming an artificial tooth root, a dental crown can be attached via an ‘abutment’. At this stage, your treatment is complete.
Your new replacement tooth in the form of a dental implant means that you will never have to worry again about the tooth moving and will also be able to eat whatever you want without having to worry about it. You will need to keep it clean of course, but this requires little more than you already do now, with brushing, flossing and seeing the hygienist for regular six monthly cleans.
Although three months or more of treatment might seem a long time, your new implant could last you for twenty years or more, provided you take good care of it. It also means no moving around in the mouth of the replacement tooth, no fiddly cleaning or soaking in a glass and no broken dentures that need to be repaired. In fact, once the treatment is complete, you can more or less forget about it and will soon find that it not only looks like, but feels like a natural tooth too!
If you live in Edinburgh and would like to find out more about this modern tooth replacement method, why not contact us to arrange an initial consultation? We can discuss this with you in more detail and you can also ask any questions that you might have. To arrange your initial consultation with us, or for any other related issues, please contact the 103 Dental and Implant Practice on 0131 608 3219. We look forward to hearing from you.
