A long-term solution for everyone
By installing dental implants in Cheltenham, patients are able to enjoy the many benefits that are on offer. This procedure is deemed suitable for any healthy adult who is missing one or all of their adult teeth and the treatment can help maintain the jawbone density that would otherwise degrade and cause the face to age prematurely and the cheeks to appear sunken.
When someone is only missing one or a few teeth, bone density is important for the stability and strength of the remaining natural teeth. Should the jawbone recede, the result could mean the surrounding teeth will lose their stability within the jawbone and need to be removed as well.
For those who wear dentures, they may find after several years that their dentures do not fit as securely as before. This is again due to the jawbone receding; a natural process when the bone has not had enough stimulation to continually renew the cells to keep its strength. Simply the energy is used elsewhere in the body as the body understands that the jaw is no longer needed to be as strong as it is.
There is a permanent solution to secure dentures as well, which will delay the onset of the jawbone receding and give the patient the freedom to eat and speak without fear of their dentures slipping or falling out.
What exactly is this procedure?
By screwing a metal rod into the jawbone at the site of a missing tooth, a stable and secure replacement tooth root can be made. Over the course of several weeks, the bone fuses to the rod and creates a permanent structure in which a crown, bridge or dentures can be placed upon.
There are options for patients who have several missing teeth, with the strength of one replacement tooth root being able to securely hold a bridge of up to four teeth in a row. This allows for less surgery needed, providing a faster healing time and less risk of infection.
For those who have dentures, a specialized procedure can be done called all-on-four. This simply means that an entire set of dentures can all be placed on only four of these rods; two on the top and two on the bottom.
Are there any other considerations that need to be accounted for?
Healing time can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks and depending on the situation, the new false teeth can be immediately placed onto the rod providing same day teeth, or at the very least, a temporary tooth will be provided, allowing the patient to confidently walk out of the dental practice feeling confident in their new smile.
For those who have some loss in bone density, they may find that they need to undergo prior treatment in order to be able to have this procedure done. This treatment involved grafting bone into the jaw in order to make the site stable enough for the implants to take a hold.