Fill the gap with dental implants

At one time, replacement of missing teeth was carried out by making a denture for the patient but with all the advances in cosmetic dentistry, there are now many more advanced options available.

Dental implants are one of the most widely requested options today. These are titanium substitutes for missing teeth but they look and function like real teeth and are very durable and hard wearing.
For people who are considering replacing their missing teeth with the provision of  implants, the procedure entails the following stages:

Talking to your dentist
Your dentist will assess your dental condition carefully before you receive any implants and make sure you are a suitable candidate and have sufficiently good bone density in your jaw to support them.
It is important to get advice from a dentist who deals in dental implants as it does require additional and further dental training.

Inserting the dental implants
The implant is placed into the socket of your tooth where it is drilled into place to meet the bone in your jaw. This is important because the implant needs to be held in place and stabilised by surrounding bone which will grow and integrate around the implant. Implants are usually made of titanium because this material merges well into the jawbones.

Healing
Once the dental implant has been placed, it is essential to allow time for the bone to grow around and merge with the implant to stabilise it in your jawbone- this can take many months.

Placing the post
Once the jawbone has merged with the implant, a post can be attached to hold the new artificial tooth or crown in place.

Crown placement
The gums will require healing time after the post has been positioned.When they have completely healed, an impression of the tooth can be taken by the dentist. The impression allows the dentist to make a new crown to be placed on the post.

Dental Implants should be looked after like normal teeth,which means you need to maintain regular dental check-ups and carry out daily brushing and flossing.

Providing you look after your teeth and gums and your bone support remains good, your dental implants should last for many years to come.