Dental Implants

Dental Implants

Dental implants are a permanent option for replacing a missing tooth. Implants consist of 2 parts: a titanium root (called a fixture) and a porcelain or ceramic crown. The artificial root is placed within your jaw and the crown is attached to the top. The end result looks and feels just like a regular tooth.

Benefits of dental implants

Dental implants offer you the opportunity to restore or improve your smile and offer dentists new ways of treating tooth loss. Benefits include:

• Enhanced self-esteem and confidence – Smile with confidence knowing that your implants look exactly like your natural teeth and unlike dentures they will not shift when eating or talking.
• Improved oral health – Implant insertion does not require the adjacent teeth to be altered in any way, unlike dental bridges. The health of your natural teeth is in no way compromised by dental implants.
• Convenience – They are like natural teeth, in that you care for them in the same way and they are not removed for cleaning like dentures are.
• Improved comfort and speech – Missing teeth can cause slurring in your speech as your face muscles relax, while ill-fitting dentures can cause discomfort. Implants feel and act just the same as natural teeth.
• Fewer dietary restrictions – Wearing dentures can limit the variety of food options you can choose from, with foods that are too hard, sticky or chewy being unsuitable for eating. As implants behave similar to natural teeth, you are able to vary your food choices.

Are implants suitable for everyone?

Before they are inserted, careful examination of the patient is required to ensure that the implantation will be successful. Key areas which will be considered are:

• Presence of gum disease – Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss and consequently the most common reason why implants fail. If there is gum disease present, it will be treated before any implant surgery.
• Adequate Jawbone – Dental implants are inserted and fixed directly into the jawbone. An adequate amount of jawbone in both quantity and volume is required to ensure the implant is successful. If there is inadequate jawbone, a bone graft may be necessary before implantation.
• Personal Health – A good standard of personal health is necessary. This lets the dental professionals know with confidence that you will manage both the possible risks and complications of implantation, as well as being able to handle the procedure well too.

Can dental implants fail?

Dental implants have a high success rate due to the strict examination of every patient to assess their suitability before the procedure is undertaken. There are however some risk factors which can lead to implant failure.

• Gum disease – Gum disease affects the ability of the implant to fuse within the jawbone and cause problems with the gum tissue surrounding the implant.
• Pre-existing medical conditions – Medical conditions such as diabetes can cause implants to fail in some cases because inflammation reduces the ability of the implant to bond to the jawbone.
• Smoking – It is highly recommended that both before and after they are inserted, that smoking is ceased altogether. If not, it can lead to inflammation which reduces the ability of the implant to bond within the jawbone.

We’re here to help

Please don’t hesitate to contact us or book an appointment online. We can help you better understand the procedure and arrange an appointment.