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Treating A Single Missing Tooth With Dental Implant Treatment For Patients Near Brentford

15-04-2014

Unless you want to add an air of authenticity to that pirate costume, losing a tooth can seem to have very little going for it. Seeing as Halloween is quite a way off, you might want to go about filling that gap up; but how best to do it? Dentures seem a little antiquated, but what are the alternatives for replacing a single tooth? Dental implants have become a popular replacement treatment as they look natural, are incredibly durable and operate just like real teeth.

The benefits of a dental implant

Perhaps the most significant benefit offered by a dental implant is how functional it is. A dental implant, if properly applied, will operate just like a real tooth. This is a vast improvement over the oft-reported problems relating to speaking, chewing and slippage which are associated with dentures. Atrophy (the slow decay of the bone surrounding the tooth’s previous placement) is a common problem people face following tooth loss, one which can often lead to undesirable changes in jaw shape. Dental implants, however, can preserve surrounding bone structure and, in some cases, even stimulate the growth of the bone. Also, unlike dental bridges, this treatment should not affect healthy surrounding teeth. Dental bridges, in contrast, can require surrounding teeth to be shaved.

The Assessment

First of all, your teeth and gums will be examined. Not all people are suitable for implants, so some assessment is required. If sign of gum disease are detected, this will need to be dealt with before beginning the dental implant treatment. This assessment procedure can require a few x-ray and CT scans, just to ensure that everything is okay and to check for any structural problems which should be considered. It is important to note that dental implants require a fair amount of quality bone tissue; for most healthy individuals, however, this shouldn’t be an issue.

The Actual Procedure

The part of the gum is cut and lifted. A tiny hole is then drilled into your jaw. The implant is than fixed into said hole and your gum is then stitched back over it. A lengthy healing period will follow, after which a temporary crown will be fitted. Following this, your permanent false tooth will be fitted! Contact the team at Sparkle Dental Boutique near Brentford for more dental implant information.