Dental implants – still not convinced?

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 that is currently as close as possible to your natural teeth.

Dental implants are used to replace one or more missing teeth. The titanium screw is inserted into the jaw bone and is used to support a crown, bridge or denture depending on the number of teeth to be replaced.

Still not sure that dental implants are the right choice for you? In this blog, we look at the benefits of choosing dental implants to replace a missing tooth.

Benefits of dental implants

There are many benefits to having dental implants below is a list of a few of them

Next best thing to natural teeth

Implants provide the closest possible replacement to your natural teeth currently available within the dental industry. They allow you to speak with ease straight away, unlike with dentures where it can take time to learn to pronounce everyday words.

Long-lasting and hard-wearing!

Implants are strong and stable and if cared for properly should last for as long as your natural teeth would. Other restorations such as dentures or bridges if looked after properly should last for 5 ‑10 years, however after time they will need to be replaced and so over time this may mean that they can work out more expensive than the initial outlay on an implant.

Enjoy life with no need to worry about your teeth!

Other options such as bridges or dentures can interfere with eating, smiling, speaking and other activities but with implants you do not need to worry. Once in place, they should be indistinguishable from your natural teeth. 

Retain your natural teeth

Implants are totally self-supporting and this means that there will be no effect on the teeth on either side of the gap, unlike with bridges which require that the teeth on either side of the missing tooth are prepared and crowns put on them therefore damaging healthy teeth. Implants also help to prevent the remaining teeth from moving or shifting into the gap caused by the missing tooth which in the long term can lead to complications with your bite.

Feel full of confidence and ready to take on the world!

Dental implants can give you your confidence back. There will no longer be any need to worry about missing teeth or worry about moving dentures. You will be able to join in the fun, with dental implants you will be able to get on with life and not let your teeth rule your decisions.

Eat a full and varied diet

No longer will you need to worry about the food you eat. With dental implants, you will be able to eat a full and varied diet. You will not need to worry about the menu when invited to a friend’s for dinner or when you are out celebrating a special occasion, you can have your pick of the dishes.

Protect your healthy bone

When teeth are extracted there is a risk of loss of bone or deterioration of your jawbone. When not being used your jawbone loses its strength and firmness. Dental implants are the only restoration that help to preserve and stimulate bone growth, helping to keep your jaw in tip-top condition for many years to come. 

Restore your facial structure

When you have missing teeth your cheeks can sag and create additional wrinkles — Dental implants help to fill out your cheeks and support your skin. They have the ability to make you look years younger.

No risk of cavities

Cavities can’t occur in an implant-restored crown or replacement teeth but you will need to attend regular appointments as normal to ensure that there is not a build-up of plaque and calculus around the tooth which if left long term can cause the dental implant to fail.

You can get dental implants at any age

There are no age restrictions for dental implants. Whenever a tooth is extracted, knocked out or damaged, this type of restoration is an option, as long as your dentist considers your jaw healthy enough to sustain it. Even if you’ve suffered jawbone loss, you can get bone grafts beforehand to prepare your mouth.

High success rate

Dental implants have been tried, tested and adapted over many years and can now show a long track record of being reliable and providing long-term successful outcomes. Implants can often give more guaranteed results than bridgework, removable appliances or retreatment of root canal therapy.

How is a dental implant treatment done?

Prior to any treatment, you will need to attend 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 dental implants until you have had a bone graft.

With dental 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 deciding on how you 

Here at Leigh Dental Centre, we provide 0% finance options to help our patients spread the cost of dental implant treatments if they wish, we also regularly have special offers on implant treatment.

Dental implants provide a reliable, long-term solution to replace a missing tooth or teeth. So, if you’re looking for a dentist for implants, what are you waiting for? Call Leigh Dental Centre today on 01702 472929 and book a consultation to find out if implants could be the right solution for you.