Dental Implants; What They Are and How They Work.

Over the past few years there has been a large increase in the number of people turning to dental implants to fill gaps caused when teeth are beyond repair and need to be extracted. A dental implant is used to support one of more false teeth; this could be a crown, a bridge or dentures.

Dental Implants are a safe and well established treatment and are currently the closest treatment you can have to having your own teeth back again. Provided they are looked after, dental implants should last for many years.

Treatment

Prior to any treatment you will need to attend for a consultation appointment. At this appointment the dentist will perform a full examination of your mouth and take x-rays to assess the level of bone present in your jaw. If you do not have enough bone or the bone is not healthy enough it may not be possible to proceed with implants without first having a bone graft.

Most implant surgery is completed under local anaesthetic; this means that you will be awake and aware of what is going on during treatment. If you are very nervous the dentist may prescribe a mild sedative to help keep you calm during your appointment. Placing an implant is often easier than taking the tooth out was initially. You are likely to experience some discomfort in the week following surgery as the bone starts to grow around the implanted screw, but will be advised what painkillers to take should you require them.

It will normally take 3-4 months from the placement of the screw into your jaw for the dentist to be able to start the restoration. This is in order to allow the bone to heal fully around the titanium screw securing it in place.

Once the site has healed fully the dentist will be able to form the crown, bridge or dentures to fit over the screw and fill any gaps.   It is not necessary to have one implant for every missing tooth, your dentist will be able to advise on the ideal placement of any implants to give the best retention for any restoration. Once in place any crowns, bridges or dentures will match closely the natural colour of your teeth so no-one will know that you have missing teeth.

Prior to any treatment you should ensure that you fully understand exactly what treatment has proposed and have a written estimate of the treatment costs. These may change as treatment progresses but you should be consulted and given all the options available for how to proceed.

Aftercare

Looking after your implants should be no more difficult than looking after your natural teeth. However there may be some areas that are more difficult to reach and your dentist or hygienist will be able to advise on how best to clean these areas. The dentist may also advise that you attend for more regular hygienist appointments to ensure that the implants stay free of plaque and calculus build up.

If you do not care for your implants properly there is a risk of developing gum disease, this can affect the stability of the implant and in the long term if left untreated can cause the implant to fail. This is why it is important to attend regularly for dental examinations so that any problem can be identified early and treated quickly.

At West Wickham Dental Practice we are able to offer high quality dental implants in Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington, Shirley and Croydon with Dr Anhaar Mohamedali, who has a special interest in dental implants and trained at The Cambridge Academy of Dental Implantology.

Call us on 0208 7761188 to book in for an implant consultation today and start your journey to the smile you desire.

Benefits of Teeth Straightening.

Teeth straightening treatments such as Six Month Smiles, Clear Braces and others have numerous benefits. Not all of us are born with a perfectly straight set of teeth for the perfect Hollywood smile. Apart from the aesthetic value, straight teeth helps us to bite, chew and speak properly providing a significant boost in self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image; qualities that are valued at every age benefiting social as well as career success.

Our teeth are placed in our jaws by nature to form perfect contact alignment when we open and close our mouth when chewing food. However, this is not the case in many people. Crooked teeth form as a result of developmental anomalies in our skeletal system before birth and get exacerbated as we grow up. Most commonly, crowding occurs affecting the front teeth of the jaw, resulting in the teeth pushing out of line or rotating on its axis.  Protruding front teeth are more prone to accidental injury and increased risk of fracture.

Misaligned teeth prevent effective cleaning of the tooth surfaces, as brushing and flossing cannot reach all the areas allowing food particles to remain stuck around the teeth. Bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar in the food, producing acids that cause cavities and tooth decay. The plaque (the colourless bacterial film on teeth) also contributes towards periodontal disease (bleeding gums) and halitosis (bad breath). If left untreated, the bone surrounding the teeth may get destroyed making chewing and swallowing difficult. Severe orthodontic problems can also stress out the jaw joints leading to chronic headaches or pain in the face and neck. Early corrective orthodontic treatment before the problems exacerbate can prevent costly and time consuming restorative dental treatment for more serious problems developing later.

There are various solutions to treat crooked teeth but most take at least 18 months if not 2-3 years with conventional orthodontic treatment. However the latest in orthodontics – Short Term Orthodontics such as Six Month Smiles™ or clear aligner braces can give you the smile that you want in a fraction of the time and possible costs, compared to conventional treatments.

What are the benefits of teeth straightening or orthodontic treatments?

• A smile to be Proud off
• Increased self-confidence
• Improved teeth functionality
• Increased efficiency in keeping the teeth clean
• Better distribution of muscular stress during chewing
• Long term benefit to the health of gums and teeth
• Reduce the risk of injury to protruded front teeth

Signs that braces may be needed

• The upper front teeth are misaligned with the lower teeth – excessive protrusion or cover the majority of lower teeth (bucked), behind the front teeth (under bite), or don’t touch (open bite)
• Teeth may be crowded or over lapping
• Thumb sucking habits in children after 6-7 years
• Chewing difficulty
• Uneven wear of teeth or disproportionate spaces between the teeth
• Movement of the lower jaw to either side during chewing

Clear braces are also affordable, safe and effective way to straighten your teeth. With straighter teeth and an effective cleaning strategy you could have healthier teeth. Six Month Smiles™ clear braces are safe, comfortable and provide quick results because they only move teeth that shown when you smile. Think of your teeth as a window to the health of your body. Your teeth and gums — and how they look to others when you smile—say a lot about your overall health. If you're taking good care of both, you're probably taking good care of the rest of you.

West Wickham Dental Practice is a recognised provider of the Six Month Smile^TM treatment and we are able to offer high quality smile makeovers in Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington, Shirley and Croydon with Dr Anhaar Mohamedali, who has successfully treated multiple cases providing their Smile Proud! moment.

Call us on 0208 7761188 to book in for a cosmetic consultation today and start your journey to the smile you desire.