Dental implants are a means of a tooth replacement that do not affect the adjacent or opposing teeth. Dental implants can be placed without any damage to the other teeth and they also do not rely on any other teeth for support. This is an advantage because other dental issues relating to neighbouring teeth are not transferred to the dental implant.
A dental implant might be needed to replace teeth or a single tooth that have/has been damaged through trauma through a heavy filling or have been part of a bridge or a crown in the past that has broken or needed to be extracted.
On average a dental implant, depending on what study you look at lasts anything from 9 to 16 years. There are various reasons for dental implants lasting a little longer or a little shorter than others which are normally due to the aftercare that is provided by you the patient and also by your dentist and hygienist. Unfortunately nothing in dentistry lasts forever but it is a fantastic way to replace a tooth without putting any extra strain on other teeth in the future. Dental implants can be replaced; usually this occurs again anything from 9 to 16 years.
Once the procedure of removing the missing tooth has taken place and the patient has left a healing time of around 3-4 months, the dental implant is then placed under the gum and becomes part of you as your gum grows around it.
An implant is a stable option as it can be chewed on as a normal tooth. It is safe to have a lot of force applied to it with your bite as they behave in a very similar way to natural teeth. You would also floss in-between the implant and tooth as you would a normal tooth, you would also brush the implant as you would a normal tooth. The implant becomes a part of you which your body accepts and grows around. The visible crown which would be on top of the implant would match the rest of your smile, making it almost impossible to see the difference between the real teeth and the implant. The shape and colour will be chosen around your existing teeth giving a great aesthetically pleasing finished result.
In comparison to other means of replacing teeth, a bridge can last a similar time to an implant, but a bridge would rely heavily on surrounding teeth which can cause damage to those teeth and reduce their life expectancy. As well as this it could also cause the tooth in question to fail. So an implant really is a good option as it protects your other teeth and is also a cost effective way to replace a missing tooth without causing damage to the surrounding teeth.
It is really important to have a thorough consultation and an in-depth check-up first, and then a planning session is usually advised after that initial consultation.
We are now offering a private complimentary consultation with our implant dentist Sean at our friendly practice in Birchgrove on the outskirts of Cardiff. Please contact us if you would like to book in.
