01 / 05 / 2021
Why dental implants are the best way to replace lost teeth
It’s difficult to say what the best thing about dental implants is; could it be their permanence, the way that they protect the health of your jaw bone as well as keeping your teeth secure, or the fact that they won’t ever become loose the way traditional dentures do?
At Sutton Dental & Implant Clinic in Sutton Coldfield we believe it is a combination of all of these things and more – in short, we think that dental implants are more often than not the best way to replace missing teeth.
Dental implants are small titanium screws or posts that replace the natural tooth roots after tooth loss. The roots are not just important in keeping your teeth secure and functional; they also protect the density of the jaw bone.
If several teeth are missing then the jaw bone beneath the gums will start to recede. This makes traditional dentures loose, and can complicate the placement of dental implants at a later stage. However, thanks to the advanced skills of the implantology team at our Sutton Coldfield dental practice, we can still offer dental implants to patients who have suffered some bone loss.
Your implant journey begins with a consultation here at our Sutton Coldfield dental practice. During this consultation your dentist will use x-rays and CT scans (performed on site) to assess your current level of bone density.
The dentist will also check your general oral health, including the condition of your gums and of any remaining natural teeth, before determining how many dental implants you need.
We place dental implants under either local anaesthetic or conscious sedation at our Sutton Coldfield dental practice. They will be left to heal for a period of about six months, with temporary teeth attached and/or with adjustments to your existing denture whilst integration and healing take place. Permanent teeth are then fitted at the end of the healing period.
If your dentist finds that you have low bone density, we can perform both bone grafts (lower jaw) and sinus lifts (upper jaw) to rebuild the bone prior to placing dental implants.
