Healthy teeth are indeed a blessing. They allow us to eat and speak normally and give us a beautiful and charming smile. Unfortunately, the loss of even a single tooth can ruin your smile and affect your ability to perform normal dental functions. If you have also lost one or more of your natural teeth, no need to worry. Screw in teeth, also called dental implants, are the best tooth-replacement option. Continue reading to find out how implants can give you a set of fully functioning teeth and an attractive smile.
What Are Screw In Teeth?
According to the Association of Dental Implantology, an implant is a screw-shaped fixture – made from titanium alloys or ceramic (zirconia) – inserted into the jawbone to serve as a root replacement. Over time, the jawbone grows around the implants, and it becomes firmly anchored. An implant is used for supporting artificial teeth like crowns, removable dentures and bridges.
How Painful Is The Dental Implant Procedure?
When a qualified and experienced implant dentist performs the implant surgery, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort. This is because your dentist will administer local anaesthesia to make you relaxed and pain free. In some cases, where patients are extremely nervous or apprehensive, dentists may consider performing the procedure under conscious sedation. Make sure to let your dentist known during the initial consultation if you have dental phobia or anxiety so that he takes the necessary measures to make you comfortable during the procedure.
Can A Denture Be Screwed In?
Your dentist can use different types of dentures for replacing your missing teeth. The conventional dentures rest directly on the oral soft tissues and the underlying bone and depend on them for their retention and stability. Traditional denture wearers often complain that they don’t fit properly and do not allow them to eat and speak normally.
There is another type of dentures supported by the screw in tooth or teeth or dental implants. While these dentures are not directly screwed into the jawbone, they are attached to the implants – which are directly anchored into the bone. As a result, implant-supported dentures offer superior dental function and aesthetics in comparison to conventional dentures.
To place an implant, your dentist will first make an incision over the soft tissues to expose the underlying bone where the implant is to be inserted. Afterwards, your dentist will drill a hole into the bone, slightly smaller than the implant’s diameter. Finally, your dentist will screw in the implant by applying controlled forces. After insertion, the implant site will be left undisturbed to ensure optimal healing. Once the implant has become completely fused with the bone, your dentist will attach a suitable prosthesis, depending on the number of missing teeth – a crown, bridge or a denture – over the implant to complete the artificial tooth structure.
Can A Single Tooth Be Screwed In?
According to the American Dental Association, your dentist can use implants to replace a single, multiple or a full arch with missing teeth. If you wish to get a single tooth replaced with an implant, your dentist will attach a porcelain or zirconia crown over it, which serves as the artificial tooth. Perhaps, the best thing about implant-supported crowns is that they do not require cutting down the neighbouring teeth, like bridges. Instead, they are directly inserted into the jaw bone.
Should I Replace One Missing Tooth With An Implant?
Whether it is a single tooth or all teeth missing in a jaw, dental implants are by far the most reliable, durable and aesthetically pleasant replacement option. Dental implants have a very high success rate. According to a research study, tooth implants have a 90-95% success rate over ten years. According to the American Dental Association, dental implants can last for a lifetime if they are your teeth and gums after properly through optimal oral hygiene care and regular dental visits. That is why dental implants are the best option when it comes to replacing a single missing tooth.
Are There Cheaper Alternatives To Dental Implants?
When it comes to replacing missing teeth, you choose from several options. You can either go for a conventional denture that gains its support from the oral tissues, jaw bone and the adjacent teeth, or you can a fixed bridge to replace up to three or four adjacent missing teeth. Another option is to get your teeth replaced with dental implants.
If you consider the treatment cost, the removable dentures and bridges are much more cost-effective than the implant-supported false teeth. However, both these options have several drawbacks which limit their efficacy as tooth replacement options. For example, removable dentures fail to provide sufficient biting force to eat normally. Similarly, the bridges require sacrificing the healthy tooth structure of the neighbouring teeth.
No doubt, tooth replacement with implants may seem like an expensive option. However, if you compare the numerous benefits of implant-supported teeth over other options, their high cost is not a big issue. Consider it as a lifelong investment to get a functional full set of teeth and a naturally beautiful, healthy smile.
Are you thinking about getting your missing teeth replaced with implants in Newham? Look no more. We offer high-quality implant dentistry and general dental care services to our patients at Newham Dental clinic. We have a team of experienced and highly qualified dentists who have undergone training in replacing teeth with dental implants so you can enjoy a lasting, healthy and charming smile.
So, what are you waiting for? Book an appointment with us and take your first step towards a more confident, healthier and prettier you!