Halloween is now long behind us, as are the costume based benefits of missing teeth. Outside of dressing up like a pirate from the scurvy era, there isn’t really a reason to leave a tooth un-replaced and doing so can, in fact, lead to a plethora of problems: Teeth keep other teeth in place and, by not replacing a missing tooth, the surrounding teeth will collapse into each other; not replacing a tooth can also increase the chance of contracting gum disease. Given that replacing the tooth is imperative, you then have to decide how to! Dentures have been the classic method for over two millennia, but they also have numerous negatives associated with them, such as slippage and an inability to chew hard foods. Dental implants, however, operate just like real teeth…
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a false tooth which is anchored in to your jaw by a small but sturdy metal rod.
The benefits of dental implants
Functionality is probably their key selling point: If done correctly, a dental implant will work like your old tooth did. As an added bonus, they also prevent the common problem of post-tooth loss atrophy, something which dentures cannot combat: Atrophy, the slow decay of bone surrounding the missing tooth, can lead to a gradual change in face and jaw shape. Dental implants, however, not only help prevent atrophy, but can even stimulate bone growth! No surrounding, healthy tissue need be affected either: Dental bridges, another alternative to dentures, can sometimes require neighbouring teeth to be removed so as to accommodate the false tooth. With dental implants, there is no such problem.
The procedure
First off, your teeth and gums will be checked to ensure you can support the implant. It should be recognised that implants need a reasonable amount of quality bone tissue to be available from the patient; for most folks, this shouldn’t be an issue. The gum is cut, raised and then a small hole, where the implant is to be placed, is drilled into a specific jaw location. Your implant is then fitted into this socket and the gum is stitched back up. The implant is then left to heal, for between six weeks and six months. After this period, a temporary crown will be fitted for between four and six weeks. Following this, the final restoration will be attached.
Tags: Dental implants, Dental implants Central Liverpool, liverpool, missing teeth treatment
