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Having a missing tooth can have a big impact on how you feel, can make you feel embarrassed and critically, stops you from smiling.
Whilst there are many different options to replace a missing tooth, none are as effective, long-lasting or as stable as dental implants. They may not be the cheapest option upfront but due to their long-lasting nature they often work out cheaper over the life of the implant, something that is now lasting 30 years or more.
But what exactly is a dental implant? How do they work and what is the process?
We aim to guide you through the implant journey below!
What is a dental implant?
At its core, a dental implant is a titanium screw that is placed into your jaw that is then normally topped with a ceramic crown to blend in with your natural teeth.
The screw (implant) acts as a replacement tooth root that secures the biting surface of the crown in your mouth, much like a natural tooth. The implant is even made of a titanium composite metal that begins to integrate into the jaw bone, almost becoming part of your body itself.
Can I have a dental Implant?
Dental implants are a great way of replacing teeth, but can everyone have them?
As a rule, yes! Dental implants can usually be placed in most patients, providing they do not have any underlying medical problems.
The main obstacle to placing dental implants is having enough bone in your jaw to secure the implant sufficiently in place. Even if you don’t have enough bone our implantologists are often able to place additional bone and rebuild areas of the jaw that have lost theirs.
What is the Implant Process?
Most people consider dental implants to be a daunting process with long surgeries and dental pain however, this could not be further from the truth! Most of our patients are able to get their new smile in 4 simple steps.
- Assessment and x-rays – The first step is to make sure we can place an implant in the first place!
Our implantologist will assess your suitability and bone levels in your jaw to make sure you have the best chance of implant success. This also lets us go over all possible options as well as costs. - Placing the implants – Placing the implant (titanium screw) and involves a minor surgery. This typically only takes around 45 minutes and is always conducted calmly and without any pain. Most people don’t have any issues and leave feeling more relieved than when they came in. We then allow around 4 months to let this heal and bond with your jaw bone.
- Impressions – after the healing period we can start to build your tooth on the implant. Using sophisticated scanning technology we can then take impression that are send onto one of our expert dental labs who handcraft your new tooth. This is designed to match your existing teeth and fit in seamlessly.
- Fitting the crown – The wait is worth it! We are able to fit your new crown in just a few minutes and ready to last for years to come.
Costs
Whilst implants are highly effective, strong and long-lasting they are not the cheapest option in the short term
Material costs are high and it requires the specialised skills of our implantologists to carry out. However, when compared to most alternatives they are often cheaper in the long term as they can last for decades, don’t require replacement and don’t involve damaging your natural teeth.
