When considering our teeth and dental health, we often find ourselves having to deal with uncomfortable and sometimes painful situations which require dental treatment by an experienced dental professional. For example, you may have an accident which impacts your tooth causing both pain and bleeding, and in some cases, can lead to your tooth being completely knocked out.
Having a missing tooth can cause a number of dental issues, including causing your bite to be misaligned, altering your face structure, not to mention the effect having a missing tooth can have on your confidence and self-esteem. This is why many individuals are choosing to have dental treatments to replace their missing teeth and restore their smiles.
So if you are currently dealing with a missing tooth, you may want to consider having dental implants in Bromley.
A safe way to replace a missing tooth
Dental implants are an effective way to replace a tooth or teeth that are missing due to an injury or accident, an infection or natural causes. Used to replace either a single tooth or several missing teeth, oral implants are made up of a titanium screw which is made to resemble the root of a tooth, along with a crown or bridge which is fitted onto the screw using the part referred to as an abutment.
Is this treatment suitable for me?
Although anyone over the age of 18 can have dental implants, it is important for a dentist to be sure that the patient has enough bone tissue in order to receive the implant. This means that prior to the treatment, the dentist will carry out a comprehensive dental examination including taking X-rays and reviewing your dental and medical history to make sure that the treatment is suitable for you. If you do not have enough bone tissue, there is also the option to have a bone graft.
How your missing tooth is replaced
Replacing your missing tooth is usually done in two appointments.
For a single tooth, at your first appointment, the titanium screw is placed into the jawbone where you have lost the tooth. A small incision is made into the jawbone in order for this to happen and this usually is performed under a local anaesthetic. Once this part of the procedure is done, you will be invited back to your dental practice after some weeks to complete the procedure. This is so that the bone surrounding the implant has a chance to fuse with the implant for it to be more secure, a process known as osseointegration.
Once this process is complete. You will be invited back to the practice where your replacement crown will be fixed onto the screw. This crown will be custom made to look like your remaining teeth.
Following the treatment you may experience some pain and discomfort which is completely normal, such as a swollen gum or pain at the implant site, however this should subside after a few days. It is also important that following the treatment you maintain a good oral hygiene regime to ensure that the dental implant remains in the best condition.
