If you’ve got missing teeth, it may have affected your speech, caused difficulties with chewing, or caused your face to become drawn and aged. By leaving any remaining natural teeth and the gums more exposed to bacteria, you also risk further dental complications. Unfortunately, gum disease has also been linked to a whole host of other medical problems for your overall health, including issues such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Little wonder then that it is really important to address missing teeth and not leave gaps in your smile for long. Thankfully, treatment for missing teeth can be easily given with crowns, bridges or dentures, and now there is a complementary treatment that allows these replacement teeth options to be fitted into the mouth permanently, without the worry of them loosening or needing to remove them for cleaning. Dental implants in Plymouth is a treatment that offers convenience, reliability and discretion for patients, giving them natural looking smiles that also function naturally too.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are screws that your dentist can fix to your jawbone. They become securely fitted because the body’s tissues heal around them. Once this has happened, your tooth replacement option is then attached using an abutment and then should not be able to move, regardless of how much you talk or what you choose to chow down on. You can replace a single tooth, multiple teeth or a whole set with dental implants, allowing you to regain a beautiful smile that functions properly and healthily.
Why do people choose dental implants?
It may sound as though you would need to have major surgery to have dental implants, but that’s not the case at all. To have dental implants fitted, you will only be required to go for a couple of appointments. During the first appointment, you will have the screws fitted and temporary replacement teeth attached. You will be given local anaesthetic for this, so there won’t be the need to worry about recovery time from a general anaesthetic. The procedure should also be painless with the local anaesthetic targeting the precise point that could be affected by the procedure. Once the gums have healed, you will then return to have your permanent replacement teeth attached.
The longevity of dental implants speaks for itself; if you maintain your implants by simply brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist for routine checkups, then they could last a lifetime. Dental implants don’t decay, being made of metal and your replacement teeth can’t develop cavities either! Imagine talking as much as you want, eating whatever you fancy without worrying about loosening your replacement teeth and you should be imagining dental implants! What’s more, you are protecting your mouth from further dental issues and you could even look younger by giving your face its structure back again, so that it isn’t drawn.
Find out more
To learn more about dental implants, book in for an initial consultation with a dentist who offers dental implants. Discuss your concerns during this appointment and they will be able to examine your mouth and tell you what the treatment options are. If dental implants are a suitable treatment, then there is no reason why you can’t have a beautiful smile that doesn’t look great and function naturally. You can try and spot people with dental implants, but it’s not a fun game – how will you ever know if you were right or wrong (unless you ask them?!) It’s much more fun to keep people guessing and get a great smile that won’t let you down!