Using Dental Implants To Complete A ‘Gappy’ Smile
Missing teeth doesn’t necessarily mean dentures are your only option
Tooth loss can happen for a number of reasons. These include neglect but also from the result of an accident such as a fall or a blow to the mouth. Especially if a front tooth is knocked out, or lost otherwise, it can have a distinct effect on our appearance and more often than not, we need to do something about it.
Any of our patients who are wondering what to do about their gappy smile would do well to look beyond dentures as the only available solution. It is true that modern dentures look reasonably realistic and have improved over the years, but they can’t match the stability of dental implants and if the denture starts to move around when we are talking to someone, it could cause some embarrassment.
Why dental implants?
The reason that we feel that teeth implants are often the best option available for patients of The Dental Centre Bedford is because they are not only very strong and secure in the mouth, but also last for a long time. Indeed, the first ever implant placed was still intact 40 years later when the recipient passed away. You can probably deduce from this that the 20 years of longevity that we suggest as an average for dental implants, providing that they are looked after correctly, is probably a conservative estimate and many will last even longer than that.
For most patients; even though the initial procedure is a fairly complex one, the biggest advantage is that it allows them to eat, speak and laugh normally without concerns about stability. No special cleaning beyond what you should do with your own natural teeth is needed too.
Prior to your treatment
To place a tooth implant, we first of all have to determine if there is sufficient jaw bone to accommodate it. This is determined through the use of x-rays and scans. Whilst a healthy mouth should ensure that this is the case, bone loss can occur for a number of reasons including old age, periodontal disease and where the bone has been damaged if a tooth has been knocked out. It can also occur if a tooth has been missing for a while as the minerals which make up the bone in that area are reabsorbed by the body.
In most cases, there will be sufficient bone structure but in cases where there isn’t, we can discuss options such as bone grafts which will allow the implant to be placed. Finally, because periodontal diseases pose a real threat to implants, it is essential that we make sure that your mouth is healthy and free of gum disease. Once we are happy with this, the procedure can begin.
In our blog you will find several articles about the treatments we have available to help you have whiter teeth. These are very popular, but for some patients, there can be drawbacks in that they can actually highlight other ‘flaws’ in your smile; one of the most noticeable being where a patient has crooked or uneven teeth.
As many of our Bedford patients will be aware, routine dental appointments have not been as widely available as they used to be. The reasons for this are well known.
In today’s blog, we will take a look at a treatment that some of you may fear being told that you need to have. We are, of course, talking about a root canal procedure. There are many theories why there is more anxiety surrounding this treatment compared to others, but whatever the reason is, there is little doubt that it is one that patients hope to avoid. But fortunately those concerns are overstated.
It won’t be long before we are saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new. This year, the goodbyes are more likely to be ‘good riddance’ and few of us will recall this year with fond memories in the years to come.
There are a number of reasons why people might become obese. For the unfortunate few, it can be caused by a medical condition and for some it may be at least partially hereditary. For most of us though, obesity stems from eating too much and exercising too little. Most of us will be aware by now that this can contribute to a number of medical conditions, but it may well be less known that being overweight can also make a difference to your oral health as well.
As many people have predicted, it appears that a 2nd wave of the Covid-19 virus is on its way or already here.
There is no getting away from it; lockdown has been tough for some people and this is especially true financially. Small business owners that have had to close their premises for a few months will almost certainly have taken a large financial hit.