Losing a tooth as an adult can be an embarrassing and scary situation to find yourself in, but rest assured you are not alone and there are plenty of solutions available thanks to advances in dental technology. Research has shown that almost 70% of adults over the age of 35, here in the UK, are missing at least one tooth. Dental implants Nottingham have become a popular choice of tooth replacement therapy over the last two decades and they provide a strong, stable and long-term solution to missing teeth. They restore the function of your teeth and mouth and they also help improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile. Over time where dentures and bridges can weaken the surrounding teeth and bone, dental implants help strengthen your general oral health and also play an important role in preventing bone decay.
Addressing tooth loss immediately
If you have experienced tooth loss, whether as a result of poor oral hygiene or you have been in an accident, then it is important that you speak to your dentist as soon as possible to address this issue. If tooth loss is left unaddressed it can result in many other dental problems. It can weaken your surrounding teeth, resulting in further tooth loss, and in the site of the missing teeth, it can lead to bone decay.
If you would like to consider dental implants to restore your missing teeth, you need to book an appointment with your dentist so that they can carry out a full examination and decide what the best approach will be for you. Dental implants require you to have sufficient healthy bone for the implant to be inserted. The longer you delay visiting the dentist following the loss of your tooth the more complicated the process becomes. Dental implants are composed of small titanium screws which replace the root of your missing tooth. Titanium implants were first introduced in 1965. It is the material of choice because it reacts with the body to initiate a process known as dental osseointegration which allows the successful implantation of the screw into your jawbone.
Dental implant surgery
Implant surgery has been found to have an excellent 98% success rate. The process itself involves drilling into the bone socket of your missing tooth to make sure that the titanium screw fits perfectly into your jaw. This will initiate osseointegration which will cause osteoblasts, or bone forming cells to form and multiply around the implant to make sure it is permanently locked into place. As this is a natural process it can vary from person to person, but it usually takes up to 12 weeks for successful osseointegration to occur. Within this time you can visit your dentist at regular intervals to make sure that the process is coming along correctly. Once successful osseointegration has occurred then an abutment is joined to the implant to which the dentist will attach your replacement teeth of choice, according to your personal preferences and requirements. The main advantage of dental implants is that they look and feel just like your natural teeth and are almost indistinguishable from them. Speak to your dentist and find out more about dental implants today.
