Do your dentures often slip about in your mouth, making your gums uncomfortable and sore? Or is it difficult to eat certain items, causing frustration and embarrassment when they fall out of your mouth? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, then it looks like dental implants could be a practical alternative. Dental implants are a permanent way to replace one or more missing teeth. They’re fixed into the jaw bone and because the implant can’t move about, problems when eating and painful gums will be a thing of the past.
Other reasons you may want to consider dental implants
As dental implants are totally fixed into the jaw, they do not require any support from adjacent teeth, like some alternative tooth replacement options. This means, that as long as you look after your implant and the teeth surrounding it, you could have a great, problem free smile for many years. The Centre for Aesthetic Periodontics and Implantology in Kent, says that implants help to stop the reduction of certain bones that support the face. Face support is essential to a person’s aesthetics, as if the bone shrinks it’s no longer able to support the face, and the cheeks can sink into the face, making a person look gaunt and sad.
What happens during the dental implant procedure?
To determine your suitability for a dental implant, a dentist will physically inspect the area and take an x-ray to make sure there is enough strong bone present to support the implant. The procedure is usually performed under local anesthetic and the titanium implant will be fixed into the jaw and covered with a ‘healing cap’ to heal for two to six months. After the healing period, a tooth-coloured crown will be added to the implant and together they will form a perfectly natural looking bionic tooth.
Maintenance
As long as you care for your implant as you do with your natural teeth and attend regular dental appointments, there should be no problems with your implant. Dental implants do not get cavities, however if not looked after correctly, you could suffer with some gum issues. To summarise, if a dental implant is cared for well it could last a lifetime.
