Losing teeth is expected as you get older. When the time comes, you need to weigh up your options regarding treatments for teeth restorations, considering the best for you.
Bridges and dentures are two reliable devices from which to choose that each has a list of pros and cons. Hertfordshire Dental Implants, on the other hand, is the latest tooth reconstruction procedure that deserves recognition for its contributions toward transforming individuals’ smiles and lives. Here’s everything you need to know about the game-changing device.
What are implants?
Many have heard about the life-changing effects that teeth implants offer, but fewer people possess in-depth knowledge about implants; what they look like and the critical roles that they perform.
In a nutshell, implants are metal posts that are either cylindrical or screw-like. Implants are small in size to fit into the targetted bone.
Despite the implants unremarkable appearance, it plays several crucial functions; the primary one is that it serves as an artificial root to your new tooth. What this means is that your new tooth doesn’t just look real but functions like any regular tooth.
With an implant in place, you can resume an ordinary life without consequence. Enjoy eating steaks, apples, or hot or cold beverages without cracking your new tooth piece or feeling tenderness.
Why choose implants over alternative solutions?
Although bridges have been around for longer and have been instrumental for people who’ve lost their teeth, they do possess pitfalls that can’t be overlooked.
One major disadvantage to bridges, for example, is that neighbouring teeth can become compromised if they must be filed down or cut for the bridge to fit in place. In the long haul, this could result in the bridge collapsing if your regular teeth become weak and porous.
Dentures have long since provided users with a full smile and a restored sense of confidence. That said, however, dentures aren’t perfect. At the same time, they primarily serve an aesthetic purpose and don’t do much to preserve the jawbone.
As you may know, the underneath jawbone is stimulated by regular teeth, which pushes down, placing pressure on the bone as you talk and eat. Once you lose one or several teeth and with this exertion removed, the bone breaks down because it’s under-exercised.
Unfortunately, you can’t fix this issue with dentures because the device only covers the teeth and gums and plays no part in regenerating lost or softening bone.
With dental implants, your surrounding teeth aren’t impacted by the new device. At the same time, being the artificial root, an implant exerts the needing pressure onto your jawbone, not only preventing bone and other teeth loss but improving the density of existing bones.
What are the steps involved?
There are several procedures incorporated into attaining an implant, all of which will be discussed below.
Step One: Consultation
During the consultation process, your dental practitioner will perform a comprehensive oral examination to ascertain whether you’re a viable candidate for dental implants. Not everyone is, unfortunately.
Thanks to missing teeth and not replacing them immediately or wearing dentures for years, you might not have enough bone for implant placement. Otherwise, you might have unhealthy gums because of illness or not adhering to dental hygiene practices.
Either problem requires treatment before you can consider implants with bone grafts for insufficient bones or a root scaling and planning for bad gums. You can consult your dentist and discuss all the factors related to the treatment like dental implants or Invisalign – including costs, healing period, any eating habits that you may have to consider, etc.
Step Two: Implant Placement
During implant placement, an incision will be made to cut open the gum, to expose the bone for which the implant will be drilled into.
Once the implant is in the correct position, the area is sutured up and left to heal. Healing takes several months, during which time osseointegration transpires. This natural phenomenon occurs when the titanium metal fuses with the bone, thus tightly securing your new implant in place.
Step 3 & 4: Abutment and crown replacement
A customised crown is tailor-made for you during recovery, which is linked into position atop an abutment, which connects the artificial tooth to the implant.
Now, go out and enjoy your implant, taking special care of it with essential oral hygiene regimens.