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The Advantages
We believe implants to be the best possible solution for missing teeth. Having a fully-functioning set of teeth greatly improves one's quality of life, ability to eat normally and to look great. A full set of teeth gives shape and support to the whole face. Unfortunately lost teeth cause the jaw bones and gums to shrink, causing a premature ageing effect. Dental implants are small titanium screws, about the size of the roots of natural teeth. Once placed into the space left by a missing tooth, the jaw bone will stabilize and “integrate" with the implant, preserving the jaw bone’s shape and helping to limit the ageing effect. Implants are the closest thing to natural teeth any surgeon or technician can offer today.
Implants are as strong as any healthy, natural tooth - meaning even hard foods like whole apples and raw carrots are no longer a problem! Implant versatility and longevity ensure they can be used to restore anyone's smile to brilliance. They are extremely long-lasting and will enable you to live life as though you had a mouthful of natural teeth.
Implant Solutions
I have one tooth missing.
Anyone can lose a tooth. In young people, the loss of a front tooth is usually the result of an accident or failure of the natural tooth to develop normally. Historically this would have led to a lifetime of treatment.
A single implant can be placed, without touching or altering the teeth either side of the gap. It is strong, long lasting and self-supporting, with a crown which is screw or cement-retained.
I have more than one tooth missing
If you have more than one tooth missing, there are two dental implant options.
The first option is to replace each missing tooth with an individual implant as shown here.
The second option is to elect to have an implant-borne bridge. In this technique the new implant-crowns are linked together and supported by two or more implants. This system uses fewer implants to replace the missing teeth. You can see how this works in the animation below..
I have no natural teeth
(option 1)
If you have no teeth in either your upper or lower jaw, implants can enable you to laugh and eat with confidence. There are various treatment options.
Some patients, perhaps because of the lack of available bone (read about bone grafting) or where the gum has receded with their natural teeth opt for an “overdenture” or "removable bridge". This technique uses fewer implants (four in the lower jaw and six in the upper) than a full fixed restoration.
An overdenture/ removable bridge is constructed to fit over the implants. As it is supported by implants it is stable and patients can eat what they like with it. It covers less of the mouth than a conventional denture, has excellent aesthetics, is easy to clean and can sometimes be used as a stepping stone to a full fixed arch at a later date. It is often possible to carry out this treatment in a single session - giving patients a fixed overdenture at the same time as their implants are placed.
I have no natural teeth
(option 2)
Provided the patient has enough bone, six implants (or more) are enough to produce a fixed full arch of teeth – usually made up of several bridges linked together.
This solution - individually fixed teeth which look and behave exactly like natural teeth is the “ultimate" treatment plan for those who have lost all their teeth.
