Rebuilding Mouths – Improving Lives

The use of dental implants following facial trauma.

Whilst dental implants are best known for their use in replacing a tooth that has simply been lost or extracted; the importance they can also have in mouth restoration following facial trauma is perhaps less well known.

Facial Trauma

Dental implants can really help to restore a person’s mouth and confidence following severe facial trauma such as a car accident or perhaps an accident at work. In such accidents, it is not unusual for the victim to receive facial trauma, very often resulting in a loss of teeth. Once the accident victim has received appropriate medical attention, many are unfortunately left with varying degrees of facial disfigurement, with major tooth loss being one of the more common. Understandably, accident victims sometimes suffer trauma and a loss of confidence, not least from their changed appearance. For some, this can lead to major negative changes in their lives, potentially even withdrawing from society to some degree.

Our role, at the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre, is to help these patients rebuild their confidence by providing highly functional and natural looking new teeth to replace the ones they have lost.

Individual implant or fixed bridge?

An important aspect of facial restoration is the initial consultation. During this, we will discuss the patient’s expectations and offer explanations of the procedures that are available, along with scans and x-rays to determine the integrity of the jaw bone following the accident. Where appropriate, individual implants will be used to replace missing teeth. However, if a large number of teeth have been lost, we can also offer a fixed bridge supported by several implants.

Where the jawbone has been degraded or damaged, we may need to consider the option of bone grafts which are used to build up bone structure in order to provide a firm foundation into which the implants can be placed.

Time heals

Depending on the treatment provided, the period of time, from placement to final crown attachment, can be a few months. This is to ensure that the implants have a strong base and will offer a long term secure replacement for any lost teeth. This security, and the implant’s natural appearance, can be a significant step on the road to regaining confidence following a severe facial injury where the teeth have been affected, with many patients returning to a full and normal life as confidence returns.

For more information about dental implants or full mouth restoration, please call Darren Bywater at our Derby Implant Centre on 01332 550933.

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