A Derby implant dentist discusses the popular tooth replacement procedure.
When we lose a tooth and decide to replace it, rather than living with a gap between our teeth, we generally accept that whatever we have in its place will be, at best, something of a compromise. For those without experience, it is difficult to see how any substitute tooth would have anything like the strength of a natural tooth.
This way of thinking might have developed in that, for quite some time, the standard method to replace a lost tooth has been a partial denture. Most denture wearers would agree that whilst replacing a tooth from an aesthetic viewpoint, dentures do not offer the strength or security of a natural tooth and many also find them a little uncomfortable.
Dental Bridges
Ensuring your new dental implant has every chance of success.
Whilst many patients who visit the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre understand the need to avoid hard foods for a period of time following their implant placement, one of the biggest threats to newly placed implants is, in fact, gingivitis and especially periodontitis; both forms of gum disease.
Because, for a period of time after the implant has been placed, it is extremely important to keep the mouth in very good health, we have to insist that our implant patients refrain from smoking; at least during this period. The reason for this is to ensure that the implant is given time to become strongly fused with the bone in order to guarantee its stability, free from any external adverse effects.
Nicotine
Changing patients lives for the better at Derby Dental Implant Centre
It is perhaps too easy to claim that some small medical procedures are truly life changing. For example, you may see adverts for some facial aesthetics procedures making this type of claim but in reality, whilst some improvements can be made, these are relatively short-lived and need to be re-visited regularly.
However, this is not really the case for dental implants which can genuinely make a huge difference to a person’s life as we have seen on many occasions here at Derby Dental Implant Centre. So why is this?
Key benefits of dental implants
Whilst traditional dentures still have a place, they do not offer the following benefits of implants:
- a fixed and permanent solution which does not have to be removed for cleaning
- a life-expectancy of over twenty years given appropriate care
- natural looking – in fact just like your natural teeth
- allow you to eat any foods without fear of displacement and embarrassment
- prevents degradation of bone in the jaw by replacing the root of the natural tooth
These are the main reasons why you will often see dental implants referred to as the “gold standard” for replacing missing teeth.
Is the process painful?
Effective implant placement at the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre.
Teeth can be lost for a number of reasons. Whilst one of the most common causes of tooth loss is neglect and a poor oral hygiene routine, teeth may also be lost as a result of an accident such as a head to head collision during a football game. Especially in the latter case, this is likely to mean that the loss of a tooth occurs in a younger person. When this happens, most people will seek out a solution to the problem.
Whilst decay and other dental problems can occur anywhere in the mouth, in the case of accidents, the chances are that this will happen to the visible front teeth. Whilst most people will wish to replace these missing teeth, the issue is less likely to be addressed when it is a rear, or side tooth that is affected. When a rear tooth, or a side tooth, is lost, provided that the patient doesn’t feel that it affects them too much, they may well be tempted to leave the gap and not replace it with an implant or other corrective dental device. However, this is not necessarily a sound course of action as follows:
Bone Density
Helping you to develop and implement dental implants in your own practice.
At the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre in Derbyshire, we pride ourselves on providing excellent service for our patients. Not only do we continually invest in modernising and purchasing relevant new equipment, but our dental implant team continually update their training to ensure that they provide the most current and appropriate treatments.
Dr Darren Bywater, is a prominent local implant dentist who also tutors for the Implant Diploma for the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners.
This tutoring experience is highly beneficial to dental practitioners who are now looking to include dental implant placement into their own practices.
Dr Bywater is now sharing his experience with dentists from Derbyshire and the East Midlands to help them to benefit from his implant skills and, eventually, to enable them to put them into practise themselves.
Furthermore, Dr Bywater is also an implant practice inspector for the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners and an examiner for the implant diploma at The Royal College of Surgeons in London.
Mentoring
Getting used to your newly placed implants.
One of the main problems with using dentures to replace missing teeth is that of dietary restriction. As well as other issues such as occasional soreness, wearing dentures means that there are certain foods that you are likely to have to avoid. Largely, these are hard or sticky foods which may cause the dentures to become loose.
This problem is overcome when you have dental implants fitted at our Derby practice as these are placed directly into the jawbone giving them a high level of stability and security. Following the placement of dental implants, an initial ‘easing in’ period can be useful to help you along the way. Because, as you would expect, there is a degree of soreness following the procedure, it is advisable that caution is taken when eating for a short period of time afterwards.
During this period, we offer the following advice.
Exposure to hot foods
How even major tooth loss can be resolved at our Derby Implant Centre.
Anyone who has suffered from major tooth loss, whether through an accident or more long term issues, will know how devastating this can be. Not only does it mean that eating is usually a chore rather than a pleasure, but also, facial features are greatly changed and can cause a significant loss of confidence too.
Thankfully, with the ‘All on 4’ procedure which we offer at the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre, this loss no longer needs to be permanent and new ‘teeth’ can be placed, giving the patient a completely new lease of life.
The Procedure
Why dental implants are considered by many to be superior to other missing teeth replacement options.
We are often asked about why we put so much emphasis on dental implants when there are other options available to replace missing teeth. This is a fair question and one that deserves to be answered so that people can make an informed choice.
Before we look at dental implants though, what are the other options available, apart from leaving the gap of course.
The main alternatives are dentures (partial or full) or a dental bridge. Both of these methods of teeth replacement have been used for a number of years and with some degree of success. However, there are some clear disadvantages as we will outline below.
Dentures
Professional care and expertise leads to a high success rate.
Dental implants have become one of the most popular dental procedures at our Derby dental practice and perhaps unsurprisingly so. With a high success rate, they offer an excellent solution to replace missing teeth and are both extremely secure and comfortable; something which few denture wearers could claim.
One potential issue with their popularity though, is that many people now believe that it is a fail safe and easy procedure and, in a number of cases, people have opted to take up cheap offers of dental implants abroad and subsequently found that this is not the case at all. Whether the chosen dentist is not fully qualified or experienced, or not using the correct materials, there is a real danger in choosing this option as we shall see below from the potential issues that can arise.
For real security for your new dental implants, we recommend choosing a fully qualified UK practitioner such as our own Darren Bywater who is an established local implant dentist and now also trains and mentors others in the procedure.
What can go wrong?
Studies show that depression sufferers are likely to have worse oral health.
Depression can take many forms and can range from the relatively minor to the full blown depression which is extremely debilitating. Thankfully, the medical profession has a much better understanding of the illness than in the past and there are now many effective medications and therapies which can at least help, if not entirely cure, this problem.
The very nature of depression often takes away a person’s capability, or even desire, to take good care of themselves and this includes their health. A person suffering from depression is likely to get little exercise and may well also eat a poor diet. Recent studies have shown that oral health in depressions sufferers is poor too.
