Missing teeth affect more than just your smile and facial aesthetics. Even a single missing tooth can cause significant difficulties in eating and speaking. This why the American Dental Association recommends getting your missing teeth replaced without delay – to minimise any damage to your oral health.
When it comes to choosing a reliable, durable and safe option for replacing your missing teeth, dental implants top the list. According to the National Health Service, an implant is a metallic, screw-shaped fixture inserted into the jawbone. Once the implant is fully embedded in the bone, it serves as an artificial tooth root, over which a suitable artificial tooth, such as a crown, denture or a bridge, is attached to replace missing teeth.
Dental implants have, by far, become the most preferred tooth replacement option worldwide due to their excellent strength, durability and natural aesthetics. If you are interested in getting your missing teeth replaced with dental implants, this article is for you. Continue reading to find out more about dental implants and how they can help you achieve better oral health and smile.
Do Dental Implants Hurt?
The placement of dental implants is a process that requires oral surgery. But there is no need to worry. You won’t feel pain during the procedure because your dentist will make you pain-free by administering local anaesthesia – or general anaesthesia – when multiple implants have to be placed in a single sitting. However, for extraordinarily apprehensive or frightened patients, your dentist may also choose to perform the procedure using conscious sedation.
How Long Does A Dental Implant Procedure Take?
Generally, dental implant placement procedure is carried out in multiple steps. During the first appointment, your dentist will perform a clinical examination and evaluate your tooth models, facial pictures and dental x-rays – to prepare a customised treatment plan. In the next sitting, your dentist will insert the implant and place a healing collar over it – to ensure it lays undisturbed, healing for the next 4-6 months.
Once the implant has fully anchored itself in the jawbone (Known as integration), your dentist will then attach a suitable prosthesis over it, such as a crown, denture or a bridge – depending on the number of missing teeth. Afterwards, your dentist may ask you to come for follow-up appointments to ensure no underlying problem or complication after implant insertion.
In some cases, your dentist may choose to insert the implant and then load it with a prosthesis in a single sitting. This process is called immediate loading, is not routinely as not every patient is a suitable candidate.
What Is The Downside Of Dental Implants?
The dental implants look, feel and function like the real teeth. Due to their numerous benefits, they are regarded as long term and an aesthetically pleasing option for replacing teeth. Despite their advantages, they only have two drawbacks. First is their relatively high upfront cost of treatment compared to other options like removable dentures or fixed bridges. Secondly, not everyone is a suitable candidate for implants. But these are only minor drawback compared with their numerous advantages.
How Sturdy Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are made from high-quality titanium alloys, which are durable, strong and safe for use in the oral cavity. According to the American Dental Association, dental implants can last for many decades, provided they are looked after properly through oral hygiene maintenance and regular dental checkups.
Are Implants Stronger Than Natural Teeth?
Titanium implants possess excellent strength and durability. However, like all other things, dental implants are only as strong as their weakest component. Therefore, dental implants’ strength – and hence, their durability – mainly depends on how strongly they have anchored themselves inside the jawbone. The higher the attachment of the bone with the implant, the better will be its anchorage and strength. This is why dentists place so much emphasis on the quality of the underlying bone before inserting implants. If your dentist feels that there is an insufficient bone mass or density to support an implant, he or she will place a bone graft to enhance the bone’s strength.
Does A Dental Implant Feel Like A Natural Tooth?
Implants look and feel and natural teeth. This is because they are designed similarly. Like natural teeth, they are embedded directly in the jawbone. Also, your dentist can place aesthetically pleasing and natural-looking prostheses on the implant to restore your facial aesthetics. In fact, in some cases, the implant-restored tooth is virtually indistinguishable from natural ones. So, if you are looking for a natural-looking tooth replacement option, then dental implants should be your first choice.
Why Are Natural Teeth Better Than Dental Implants?
Although the implant-supported teeth look virtually the same as the natural teeth, they are significantly different from each other. First, an implant does not contain blood vessels or nerves. Therefore, implant-supported teeth do not have any sensation. Besides, the blood vessels and nerves in the natural teeth’ pulp tissue give them limited reparative potential. Finally, there can be no comparison between human-made and natural things. So, we can safely say that while implants are not better than healthy natural teeth, they are much better than decayed or damaged natural tooth or teeth.
If you are looking for the best dental practice for receiving dental implants in Ely, near Cambridge, look no more. At Newham Dental, we boast a team of highly qualified and experienced dentists trained in replacing teeth with dental implants – comfortably and painlessly. Besides, we also take pride in offering all dental care services for your family under one roof.
Begin your journey towards a beautiful and healthy smile with dental implants today! Book an appointment with us here, and let us give you a smile that you can truly be proud of.