Dental implants – is it time you take the plunge?

Have you got a missing tooth or teeth? Unsure how you want to replace it? Dental implants may provide just the solution you are looking for.

A dental implant is a titanium screw that can be placed into the jaw to replace the root of a tooth. It can then be used to support a crown, bridge or denture, replacing one or several missing teeth.

Here at West Wickham Dental Practice we have put together some of the benefits to choosing dental implants over other tooth replacement treatments:

1. Next best thing to healthy, natural teeth – Strong and stable, a dental implant restores a lost tooth so that it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth. Other options can lead to bone deterioration, and may interfere with eating, smiling, speaking and other activities of everyday life.

2. Enjoy life without worrying about your teeth! – Teeth restored with dental implants are teeth that let you, not your teeth, lead your life.

3. Retain your natural face shape, and smile – A face without teeth can sag and appear sunken and sad. Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face and smile.

4. Protect healthy bone – Dental implants are the only dental restoration option that preserves and stimulates natural bone.

5. Keep your teeth in your mouth – not in a cup – Dental implants allow you to keep your teeth where they belong – in your mouth. Brush, floss and care for teeth that have been replaced using implants exactly the way you would natural teeth.

6. More predictable than other repair and restoration methods – Dental implants have a track record of reliable, long-term successful outcomes and if cared for properly they should last for many years.

If you would like to find out if dental implants are the right treatment to replace your missing teeth call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188 to book a consultation.

Dentures vs Dental Implants

There is no longer any need to go through life with missing teeth. There are now a number of different options available to replace a missing tooth, with implants and dentures being the most common options. In this article we compare both options to help you make an informed choice as to whether dentures or implants are the right treatment for you.

Dentures	Implants
Dentures are made by creating either an acrylic (plastic) or chrome (metal) base and onto these composite teeth are added in a shade to match your natural teeth. This means once in place no-one should be able to tell that they are not your own teeth.	Implants are made by inserting a titanium screw into your jaw, which is then used to support a crown, bridge or denture depending on how many teeth need to be replaced.
Dentures can be made to replace either a few teeth or all the teeth on your upper or lower jaw. Dentures have the added advantage of allowing further teeth to be added following future extractions	Implants can be used to replace a few or all teeth. Implants can either be placed for individual teeth or can be used to support dentures replacing all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw
Dentures help to improve your appearance, bite and how you speak	Implants help to improve your appearance, bite and how you speak
Dentures can be fitted immediately after a tooth is extracted so no one will know you are missing a tooth	The base of the implant will be inserted into your jaw. This will then need to be left 3-4 months to heal before a crown, bridge or denture can be placed on top
Dentures can be fitted no matter how healthy your jaw is or whether you have lost the teeth because of damage, wear and tear, decay or periodontal disease	Implants can only be placed if you have sufficient bone in your jaw and it is healthy enough. If not a bone graft will be required prior to treatment starting
Dentures do not support the jaw so you will notice bone loss over time if you wear dentures	Implants help to maintain the bone levels in your jaw and can even help to promote bone growth needed to stabilise and secure the implant
Dentures are suitable for most people	Implants are not suitable if you smoke and if you suffer with gum disease there is a higher risk of the implant failing
Dentures can take time to get used to and will require practice to allow you to speak and eat with confidence	Implants look and feel like your natural teeth so you will be able to speak and eat with complete confidence
Dentures may need to be remade or relined as the shape of your jaw changes overtime	If cared for properly an implant should last as long as your natural teeth
Dentures are less expensive than implants but will only last on average 7 – 8 years before they need to be replaced	Implants are more expensive but once in place they should last a lifetime

If you would like more help and advice on whether dentures or implants are the right treatment for you book an appointment online, or call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188

Benefits of Dental Implants

Over the past few years there has been a large increase in the number of people turning to dental implants to help fill gaps caused by missing teeth. They are a safe, long lasting restoration which is currently as close as possible to your natural teeth.

Prior to any treatment you will need to an appointment with your dentist for a consultation. At this appointment the dentist will perform a full assessment of your teeth and gums and will take x-rays to assess the level of bone in your jaw. If there is not enough bone or it is not healthy enough it may not be possible to proceed with implants until you have had a bone graft.

With implants being a large investment you should ensure that you have a full and detailed treatment plan prior to the start of treatment. This should give complete details of the treatment to be undertaken and the expected costs. There is the potential for things to change as treatment progresses but if this happens you should be given all the possible options before making a decision on how you wish to proceed.

Still unsure about whether implants are right for you? We have looked at the benefits of opting for implants over other tooth replacement methods. These include:

• Helping to maintain bone levels in your jaw. Placing an implant helps to reduce the risk of bone resorption following an extraction and can even promote healthy bone growth to secure the implant in place.

• Dental implants are independent of your other teeth. Unlike a dental bridge, which is supported by fixing crowns to the teeth on either side of the gap, with implants there is no need to damage your existing teeth to fill the gap.

• Dental implants will last for as long as they are properly cared for and this can be a lifetime. Bridges and dentures will need to be replaced after 5-7 years so can be more expensive over their lifetime.

• Implants can be used to anchor and stabilise dentures. This means that you will no longer need to worry about your teeth moving when you talk and eat.

• Unlike dentures, implants look and feel like your natural teeth, this means that you will be able to speak with confidence and eat a wide a varied diet without fear.

• When you having missing teeth this can cause your cheeks to sag and create additional wrinkles. Implants help to fill out your cheeks and support your skin. They have the ability to make you look years younger.

• Cavities can’t occur in an implant-restored crown, or replacement teeth. You will have need to attend for regular appointments with the hygienist to ensure that there is not a build-up of plaque and calculus around the tooth which if left long term can cause the implant to fail.

Implants are one of the ways in which you can fill a gap caused by a tooth extraction. Here at West Wickham Dental Practice we are dedicated to making sure you can smile proud! and offer interest-free financing to make dental implants a feasible treatment option.  If you want to discuss if implants would be right for your call us today on 0208 776 1188

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.