Ann-Marie Banks, from Apollonia House Dental and Health Care in Grasscroft, offers some advice about dental implants.
Please feel free to call Apollonia House Dental and Health on 01457 821800 or email info@apolloniahouse.com for any dental questions or concerns you have. You can also visit their website.
A DENTAL implant is used to replace a missing tooth or teeth. It is a titanium screw that can replace the root of a tooth when it fails.
Just like a tooth root, it is placed into the jawbone then a crown is placed on top.
You can have any number of teeth replaced with implant, from one single tooth to a complete set.
Implants are a safe, well-established treatment and will last for as long as you look after them.
How well you look after your implants – and whether you go for your regular maintenance appointments with your dentist or hygienist will have the biggest impact on how long they will last.
Cleaning around the teeth attached to the implants is no more difficult than cleaning natural teeth. However, there may be areas that are difficult to reach and you’ll be shown how to clean them.
You may need to visit your hygienist more often but your dental team will be able to talk to you about this.
If your implants are well looked after, and if the bone they are fitted to is strong and healthy, you can expect them to last for many years
If you don’t look after your implants they will develop a plaque/biofilm similar to what you get on neglected natural teeth. Left untreated, this can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort.
Placing an implant is often easier than taking a tooth out and is usually done using a simple local anesthetic. You will not feel any pain at the time but, just like after an extraction, you may feel some discomfort during the week after the surgery.
After your implants have been placed, the bone in your jaw needs to grow onto them and fuse to them. This usually takes a few months.
For any advice on dental implants or any dental advice please call Apollonia House Dental and Health on 01457 821800 or email on smile@apollonia.co.uk
