Dental implants are a permanent and effective solution to missing teeth. At The Guildford Dentist we have helped many people to overcome their struggle with traditional dentures by using implants to stabilise them. Read on to find out how you, too, could soon be reaping the benefits of denture stabilisation. . .

A dental implant is a bionic tooth root that is placed directly in your jaw bone under local anaesthetic. Because of the intricate planning undertaken by your dentist prior to implant placement, it is a pretty simple procedure from the point of view of a patient, and most people say that it is much more bearable than having a tooth taken out.

As soon as the implants are in place, they begin to integrate with the jaw bone. This process, which is known as osseointegration, ensures that your new teeth will stay firmly in position, as well as helping to keep your jaw bone healthy and strong.

A shrinking jaw bone is the primary reason behind common denture woes. As the bone shrinks back, dentures that once fitted perfectly become increasingly loose and unwieldy. This can cause a range of problems, including:

• Difficulty eating a healthy diet and getting proper nutrition, if dentures become painful or awkward to use
• Problems with the clarity of speech, altered speech
• Damaged body confidence and an impact on your social life if you fear your teeth will fall out
• Increased risk of oral thrush, and denture sore mouth as you false teeth rub your gums

Using dental implants to stabilise your dentures will put a stop to all these problems, and will provide you with a fully functional set of new teeth that will look and act like natural teeth, and will stay firmly in your mouth at all teams, enabling you to get back to enjoying an active social life.

A series of dental implants are placed in your jaw, and after the healing period is caused your dentist will attach your new dentures on top. In most cases you will be able to wear your old dentures during healing, after adjustment.

Dental implants give your dentist a permanent way to replace your missing teeth. At The Guildford Dentist we have a skilled team of implantologists who can use implants to replace one, some, or even all of your natural teeth, no matter why you’ve lost them.

As well as restoring aesthetic beauty to your smile, dental implants will give you back all the functionality of a natural jaw of healthy teeth. You will once again be able to enjoy eating a healthy diet, including the occasional favourite treat, will be able to speak with clarity and smile with confidence.

Whether missing teeth or slipping dentures have been making your life a misery, choosing dental implants from our Guildford clinic will let you get back to enjoying life.

The dental implants process

The majority of patients at our Guildford dental practice only need local anaesthetic for the placement of implants. Thanks to the intricate planning that your dentist will do prior to implant placement – including using x-rays and CT scans as necessary to help with diagnosis and treatment planning – implant surgery is actually fairly straightforward from a patient’s perspective.

Your dentist will ensure that your implants are perfectly placed to support your new teeth and to withstand all the forces generated by biting and chewing food in just the same way that natural teeth do.

To replace one tooth, your dentist will place a single dental implant and – after a healing period of approximately three months – will attach a crown, which will be colour matched to the natural shade of your teeth.

For the replacement of several or all of the teeth in one or both of your jaws, your dentist will place the required number of implants and may attach a dental bridge or a denture. The good news is that in the majority of cases you will not need as many implants as teeth. Thanks to the positioning and angling of your implants, several teeth can be supported by a few implants – commonly between four and eight dental implants can fully support a full arch of teeth in bridge or denture form.

Dentists have used dentures of some form or another for centuries to replace missing teeth. Modern dentures are more comfortable, realistic-looking and natural-acting than ever before, but a lot of people still experience problems.

That’s where dental implants come in. At our Guildford dental practice we recommend using implants to stabilise your dentures, thus avoiding many of the common issues denture wearers report.

What are the common issues with dentures, and how do dental implants solve them?

If you have been wearing traditional dentures for any length of time, you are likely to have experienced problems as your false teeth that once fitted so well become increasingly loose and uncomfortable. This can affect your diet, potentially limiting you to only soft foods or liquid meals, and can also have an impact to speech. You may well have seen “comedy” videos in which an unfortunate person’s dentures fall out in public – if you are experiencing loose dentures this is unlikely to make you laugh and could leave you miserable.

The main reason behind these problems is that standard dentures only replace the crowns of the teeth. Without anything to replace the roots, your jaw bone is likely to start shrinking back, which can make previously well-fitting dentures become loose, unwieldy, and uncomfortable.

Dental implants help to prevent this problem because they replace the tooth roots. They are in direct contact with your jaw bone and they are osteoconductive, which means they support bone growth and help to prevent bone loss. They will hold your dentures firmly in place so that they only come out when you want them to, and you can eat, speak, and laugh with confidence once more.

Denture stabilisation involves placing the required number of implants in your jaw (usually between four and eight to support a full arch of dentures) and attaching your dentures to them. You will still be able to take them out to clean, but otherwise they will stay where they should be.

Dental implants are an excellent solution for patients with one or more missing teeth. Placed in direct contact with your jaw bone, implants don’t just restore your confidence in your smile, they also give you back your ability to eat what you like, without the restrictions of standard dentures, and can help to prevent the issue of bone resorbtion.

At our Guildford dental practice, our skilled implantology team can use dental implants to replace one, some, or even all of your natural teeth. If you have lost one or more teeth for whatever reason, or if your natural teeth are failing, come in for a consultation with an implant dentist to learn more about how we can help you to get your smile back.

Whilst dental implants may initially seem more expensive than traditional dentures and bridges, at our Guildford clinic we prefer to see them as an investment in your smile. It’s important to remember that implants are the only permanent way a dentist can replace natural teeth; with a success rate upwards of 90%, so long as you look after them and visit your dentist regularly for maintenance appointments, dental implants could last the rest of your life.

Placement of implants requires a small operation, but this is nothing to be nervous about. Implant surgery is meticulously planned using the latest 3D software, thus enabling your dentist to ensure your implants are in exactly the right position not just to fully support your new teeth, but also to avoid nerves and other vital structures. Most people only need local anaesthetic for implant placement, which is often described by patients as being far more bearable than a tooth extraction.

Once your implants are in place, they will be left to integrate with your jaw bone for a few months. Then you’ll be called back to our Guildford dental centre for your permanent new teeth – a bridge, dentures, or a crown – to be attached.

Dental implants are an increasingly popular way for patients who have lost one or more of their natural teeth to regain confidence in their smile. Having gaps in your mouth from missing teeth can be a major source of social embarrassment and can cause you to hide your smile away in public. However, there are also other health implications that mean you should seriously consider replacing your missing teeth.

When teeth are lost, any remaining teeth may shift position as they move into any gaps. This can cause them to become crooked and more difficult to clean, which in turn can increase the chances of plaque build-up, gum disease and tooth decay.

Losing your teeth can also impact on your ability to enjoy a healthy diet. You may find yourself limited to a soft food diet if you have lost several teeth, and even one missing tooth increases the amount of strain put on your remaining teeth.

Why dental implants?

Dental implants are the only permanent way to replace your natural teeth. They are small titanium screws that your dentist carefully places in precise locations in your jaw bone. There they integrate with the bone, providing firm support for new teeth in the form of dentures, crowns or bridges, and also stimulating bone growth and the development of tiny blood vessels around the titanium.

This helps to stop the common side-effect of bone loss that often happens when teeth are lost, and which can cause a sagging appearance around the jowls.

Once your implants are in place a healing period is required, typically about three months. After this your dentist will check that the implants have integrated sufficiently with your jaw bone and will then attach your new teeth.

The implants and attached restorations look and act much like natural teeth. You will find your confidence in your smile restored and will be able to enjoy a full, healthy, balanced diet once more, which is better for your general health. With proper care and regular visits to the dentist, your implants could last you for the rest of your life.