Dental implants:
- Are the closest replacement possible to natural teeth
- Eliminate the pain and looseness of ill – fitting partial and full dentures
- Maintain the integrity of facial structures
- Do not destroy adjacent teeth – no need to grind teeth for a bridge
- Allow for superior long term aesthetics
- Restore lip support and can minimise wrinkles around the mouth
- Are stable teeth for eating and smiling with confidence
Dr Wilson works with skilled implantologists for this treatment option.
Implants
A second chance for teeth.
Dental implants offer the most stable and aesthetic solution for missing teeth, making dentures and unsightly gaps a thing of the past.
Implants are commonly made of titanium, a metal that is well-tolerated by the body. Over time, the jawbone becomes firmly united with the implant. A small attachment at the top of the implant emerges through the gum. Crowns, bridges or dentures can then be attached to the implant by screws or clips.
They form a solid foundation for permanent replacement teeth that look great, feel natural and work like your natural teeth.
Implants are an alternative to conventional bridges and partial dentures. If you find that your full dentures move around a lot, implants will help to anchor the denture in place.
When teeth are lost, the jawbone may start to shrink. Implants can help slow this process down.
Implants can support a bridge which avoids cutting into healthy teeth on either side of a gap.
While increasingly popular, implants are not appropriate for everyone. You need to be medically fit and have healthy gums and a sufficient thickness of jawbone.
Missing teeth can severely undermine your self-confidence and quality of life. The consequences of this are often reflected in bad eating habits, altered appearance and an ultimate deterioration in your health that can lead to all kinds of associated problems.
In particular ‘denture sores’ and unstable dentures can be a real source of social embarrassment and can become so overwhelming as to avoid any social contact and even result in varying levels of depression. Dentures are used when most or all the teeth are missing. They are usually loose and uncomfortable as well as causing embarrassment. But more importantly they can cause damage to adjacent teeth. By fixing loose dentures with dental implants or mini dental implants, we can give greater stability, support and retention to dentures and spare you the misery of the many problems associated with traditional false teeth.
Many of our patients are amazed at the difference to the quality of life that dental implants can make giving them the confidence to enjoy solid foods again without any discomfort.
Another serious consequence of tooth loss is the compromise to your facial structure. When a tooth is lost, the bone that previously surrounded the tooth is eventually starved, leading to premature ageing and weak muscular support.
Dental implants will preserve the bone by providing stimulation that was previously provided by the natural tooth roots, thereby maintaining the integrity of your facial structures and preventing premature ageing.
Dental implants can improve your quality of life!
What are the alternatives?
The alternatives to implants are dentures or bridges. On the other hand, you may choose to simply accept the space where a tooth is missing.
A denture usually includes a metal and/or plastic base carrying plastic or porcelain artificial teeth. It is a removable replacement for a few missing teeth (partial denture) or a whole set of teeth (complete dentures).
Dentures are very common but they can become loose, making it difficult to eat and speak. One or more implants can be fitted to help support and retain a denture.
A bridge consists of artificial teeth cemented onto adjacent natural teeth. When preparing a conventional bridge, the dentist needs to shape the teeth either side of the gap so that they will successfully hold the bridge. The bridge is placed over the gap and the teeth on either side and then cemented into place.