What are dental implants?
Dental implants can be compared to the root of your natural tooth, except they are made of titanium.
Implants are now the gold standard for replacing missing teeth.
How do implants work?
The titanium implant is carefully and painlessly placed into the jaw, obtaining its retention from the bone. They are then left in situ so that they ‘osseointegrate’ (as the name suggests, they become integrated by the bone growing in and around the implant, so they are fused to the bone). Once integrated, they can be restored, by using precision attachments to fix crowns, bridges or dentures onto the implant.
When would I need a implant?
If you have a missing tooth, there are 5 options to ‘fill this gap’:
1. Nothing, leave the gap as it is.
- Orthodontics to close the gap
- Denture
- Bridge
- Dental implant
Dental implants are now extremely popular and perceived to be the gold standard, as they are totally secure and most importantly, no other teeth need to be treated to replace the missing tooth.
What can I achieve with implants?
Dental implants can be used to:
Ringle tooth replacement
Replace several teeth by using a bridge
All missing teeth by using bridges or implant supported dentures replacemet
How long will a implant last for?
Implants are some of the most predictable dental restorations and so long as they are well planned, executed and most importantly, maintained, they will last for a long time.
Will it hurt?
The placement of implant is much less invasive than ever before. The area is totally anaesthetised beforehand, like it is for a filling, so it is painless during the procedure and most people only have very mild discomfort in the days following treatment.
