Implants

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, some teeth cannot be saved. There are a number of options for replacement which we can discuss with you, one of which is a dental implant.

A dental implant is a small but strong post made from titanium. Under local anaesthetic, it is placed into the jaw bone in place of the missing tooth root and acts as a support for the replacement tooth. During healing the implant becomes securely attached to the jaw bone – a process called osseo-integration. Once this is complete this artificial root acts as a base for fixing individual crowns, multi-tooth bridges, or an entire dental prosthesis.

Dental implants have the following advantages over other tooth replacement procedures such as bridges or dentures:

they prevent shrinkage of the jaw bone which can make the face look older

adjacent teeth do not need to be ground down as in the case of bridges

they are not removable like a denture so are more stable and comfortable

they look and feel like real teeth

Dental implants can also be used alongside bridges or dentures to improve their retention.