Dentistry is a wonderful medium. It cares for your oral health and is there to pick up the pieces if something goes wrong. Tooth loss is a particularly painful thing to go through and this can mentally turn you old over night. Yet you don’t really have to about that any more because the dental implant can get you back on your smiling feet in no time. It’s a treatment that has been around for decades, yet it is only recently that it has been become widespread in dental surgeries everywhere because of the shift in technology. It lacked efficiency and took months to recover from because of the complexity of placing a small titanium root into the jaw was very damaging to the surrounding areas because all the dentists had were drills and scalpels to work with and once in, the gums were then stitched up and this caused terrible trauma to mouth. But it worked, and worked brilliantly. Of course, computer and laser technology has ironed out all the problems of the past and now, you can have implants placed in a day, causing minuscule damage as it’s done. Then the new crown is attached to it and you have a fine new tooth that is strong, free from infection and a root that will last you a lifetime. If you need to know more, then call Clifton Dental, as the can point you in the right direction in Chepstow.
If you have been put in the position of overcoming some form of tooth loss, then before you make the decision, you should contact Clifton Dental of Bristol who serve the Swindon area, because they can give you a breakdown of all the options available to you. However, one of the up and coming stars of tooth loss is undoubtedly the dental implant. Now, it has been around for decades and the only reason that it has taken so long for it to reach a wider audience is because it was a complex and lengthy procedure, only being performed by a few dentists in a few places, making it a very exclusive and expensive treatment that could take over 6 months to complete. No, what held this treatment back from being more available was technology. Before, the placement of a small, titanium rod into the jawbone was performed using scalpels and drills which meant stitching afterwards and which made the healing process hellishly long. Now however, the implant has what it takes to be the most complete answer to tooth loss, it has the laser that can carry out pinpoint surgery and placements in hours. When the laser makes a hole, it fuses the gum tissue around it, negating the need for stitching and making healing phenomenally quicker. This means that you are fitted with you knew crowns not long after the implant has been put in. The dental implant is a very robust and strong little thing and once it’s in, it’s with you until the bitter end, giving you back the freedom you must have thought you had lost forever when you originally suffered from tooth loss.
The mini implant is a dental implant that is exactly as it sounds – a smaller version of the normal sized implant. It was originally designed as a temporary measure to be removed at a later date and replaced by the full sized version. However, they were found to be useful in their own right, working especially well as a replacement for small teeth or incisors. Patients from Bath and surrounding areas have found the mini implant to be an excellent alternative to full implants.
If a patient’s x-ray shows bone loss then they normally require a bone graft before the implant is inserted. However, they may be reluctant to do so, either for reasons of age or health. If this is the case then a mini dental implant may be an acceptable choice instead. It is a solid although smaller form of implant and does not require the patient to undergo a bone graft beforehand.
The mini implant consists of a slim titanium rod that has a fixture which can be incorporated into a denture. The head of the implant is shaped like a ball and the retaining attachment contains a rubber ‘O-ring’ that acts like a socket. The O-ring holds the denture in place by snapping over the ball at the top of the implant. This enables the denture to rest nicely on top of the gum tissue.
The mini implant is placed in the jawbone but because of their limited height do not fuse easily with the jaw. However, they do last a long time and tend to be used as a means of stabilising the lower denture, especially in older patients. They are fast becoming a popular choice of implant for many patients who are uncomfortable with the thought of a full implant or are worried about the cost.
If there were award ceremonies for dental treatments in Bath, mini-implants would definitely be in with a shout. This procedure has become so easy to do because of the advances in technology, that today, you can have multiple placements done in a day- something that would be unheard of 20 years ago. When dental implants started to make an impact on the dental world, mini-implants were only used until the healing process was complete, then they would make way for big brother. But it was soon realised that ‘minis’ could have their own application as well. The only gripe that people had about implant technology before was how long it took for the wounds to heal before the crowns could be fitted, months in fact, because the process was still using drills and scalpels. Now, lasers have taken over in dental surgeries so the treatment is precise, cleaner and less damaging to your mouth and minis cause even less damage, which is why they can be called into use almost straight away. Where their application is best used is to support fittings in the mouth; dental bridges are fine in their own right, but if they spread over a large expanse of say three teeth, their strength is diminished, but by anchoring it in the middle with a mini, the bridge multiplies in strength. Minis are also in their element when used with dentures as they can anchor the fitting tightly to the mouth and combined with an adhesive, the dentures will stay put forever. For more information about mini-implants, you can call Clifton Dental.
Many years ago in Bristol, having a dental implant fitted was quite an ordeal to say the least as the process was hampered by the tools being used. Drills and scalpels, for all the good work they do, are quite primitive and after the operation was complete, the healing process was very delicate, taking months to heal before the new teeth could be attached to the implant. It is a relief then that the laser came along and radically changed any operation done in the mouth, let alone the fitting of the dental implant. A laser will break through the gum tissue, sealing the wounds as it goes and the produces a hole in the jaw bone with unique, pin-point precision. This takes a matter of minutes to do once the procedure has been set up and today multiple implants can be placed in the mouth in a matter of hours. They are very robust once they have settled in, have numerous uses: for any form of tooth loss, single teeth can be replaced by fitting a crown upon the implant; for multiple tooth loss, a bridge can be used in conjunction with dental implants. Implants can also be used in cases of total tooth loss and are more preferred to dentures. However, even with dentures, implants have come to the rescue; if five or six mini derivatives of the implant are placed in the mouth, they can be used to lock the dentures into place stronger than ever before. It is not all plain sailing with implants though- it still is a delicate procedure as a foreign body is being placed into the body and this takes time for the body to accept this. If you are considering having this treatment, you should first run any concerns by Clifton dental first in order to put your fears to rest.
It is hard to think of an alien implant being fitted into your body as dynamic or dazzling in Bristol from Clifton Dental, but when it comes to having a dental implant fitted, it is an absolute godsend. These little darlings take the place of your original root in order to house various fittings to either replace some form of tooth loss or to keep your dentures strong and true in your mouth. Once they are located into the jawbone, they are pretty much there forever and can support your smile in extraordinary ways. They are fantastic for locking in dentures so that you will never have the embarrassment of losing your teeth in public ever again. They are also great when supporting dental bridges to give stability to the fitting. But they come into their own when it comes to replacing a tooth. They can give back everything to your mouth that you may have thought you had lost and bring back a smile that will turn back the years. Such is the advancement in implant technology, it has become common place now in dental surgeries, meaning that the costs have dropped radically to the point where virtually anyone can have the treatment done. If you are suffering from tooth loss, a dental implant could be the answer to all your prayers.
Dental implants are made from a combination of titanium rods and ceramic false teeth. The titanium rod fits into the jawbone of the patient, then the chosen form of false tooth is attached to the tip. One implant is able to provide an anchor for more than one false tooth, and in total, five or six implants is all that is need to replace all the teeth in the jawbone.
Your dentist may ask to take X-rays and CT scans before implants can be attached as a way to fully examine your mouth and the to determine the alignment of your teeth in the jaw. During the surgery, which is carried out under local anaesthetic, your dentist will drill a hole in your jawbone in which the titanium rod will be placed. Next, the tip of the implant is uncovered from beneath the gum line and the false tooth may then be either clipped or screwed onto the implant by your dentist.
Both immediate and delayed implantation is available to the people of Swindon. Immediate implants are fitted directly after a tooth extraction, the titanium rod fits into the socket of your original tooth. However, with delayed implants, after a tooth is surgically extracted, the jawbone is left to heal. After several months, once the damaged tissue has healed, your dentist will create a new hole into which they can fit the implant.
Swelling, painful gums and headaches are all common side-effects of dental implant surgery. Serious complications can include: neuronal damage in the tissue, infections in the gum tissue or jawbone and extensive or severe bleeding. Nonetheless, these complications are very uncommon and definitely should not result from surgery with an experienced dental practitioner.
One of the things you should take on board and think about is just how lucky our generation is in Swindon and what our parents rather missed out when it comes to medical procedures, for things move quite rapidly and radically these days because technology is so advanced. The guy that came up with the dental implant for instance would truly be in a state of shock if he could see just how far the treatment has come. Back then, you’d have a face like a medicine ball for months on end after being fitted with one as it was all axes and chisels and it took a fair time to recover from afterwards. But, such is the way science works and you need guinea-pigs in the beginning to get to where we are today and wow, how things have advanced from then. The dental implant is still a titanium screw into bone, but it is how it is done these days which shows how far dentistry has evolved. No more scalpels, no more drills, it is all about the laser and computer and the operation is so precise and with modern healing techniques, you can be in and out in a day after being done. Of course it has hence become very cheap too, yes, but the benefits you get from having one fitted are cosmic. We are, for the fist time staring at the demise of the denture and waking up to teeth that will give you a grin and a freedom until the day we don’t wake up anymore- a dental implant is not just a great idea for a gift, it’s for life and if technology carries on at this rate, it won’t be long before you can do it home for your kids in the future.
Think of dental implants and most people would associate the treatment as being expensive, painful and used solely in the replacement of teeth as an alternative to dentures; true once it was very expensive to have done and the recovery period could last anything up to a year, after a long operation involving scalpels and drills. But now in Bath, the use of laser surgery has seen the whole process become incredibly widespread and available to all at a very reasonable price that all of us are capable of paying for. And such refinement in the procedure has not only seen the recovery period afterwards drop dramatically, but the use of an implant is now used for other procedures in the mouth too. One such procedure is the use of the mini-implant that can be fitted in a day to help stabilize dentures and bridges in the mouth and all of this has come because of the advancement of technology over the past few decades through computers and lasers. Lasers especially have seen the demise of the drill and scalpel in the dental world as it can do the job of both with the up-most precision and with very little damage done to the gums and bone- meaning the healing post-op is very minimal; its because of this rise in technology, that most dentists are able to offer the treatment around the city- and at a price that is attractive to us all.
The history tooth replacement over the last several centuries is a story of quite remarkable leaps forward in the technology used and the results achieved for patients. From a position a few hundred years ago when people were replacing missing teeth with pieces of wood and animal teeth and bones to the current innovation of dental implants, patients are having their tooth loss problems solved in an extremely effective fashion.
Without doubt, dental implants represent the most secure and long-lasting way to replace lost teeth. What a dental implant amounts to is a replacement of the root part of a lost tooth and it is just as secure. The procedure involves your dentist making an incision into the gum and placing a socket into it that a replacement tooth can be housed in.
The really incredible thing about dental implants is that they truly become a part of your mouth. Thanks to some pioneering work done in the nineteen fifties, it was found out that the metal titanium naturally fuses with living bone. This discovery has been utilised in dental implant work so that the implant is placed against the jaw bone, allowing the titanium and the bone to fuse together in time.
Dental implants are not cheap and the invasive nature of the surgery means that it is not suitable for every one. But if you are a suitable candidate then it is worth considering because the results are long-lasting and incredibly stable. Your Swindon dentist will be able to examine your mouth and give you further advice about what having dental implants placed means for you; book an appointment to find out more details today.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
