Putting things back in place
Over the past year restorative dental treatment, such as dental implants Herefordshire, has been harder to get than ever before. Up and down the country there are countless people who live each day with one or more gaps in their smile where teeth have been lost.
As you can probably imagine, having missing teeth leaves such people susceptible to a number of dental health issues – as well as the more obvious cosmetic ramifications which often worsen the longer these gaps go untreated.
The most common methods for treating lost teeth are either dental crowns, bridges, or dentures. Although these are effective up to a point, they don’t ever solve the issue on a structural basis and therefore can cause issues to arise further along the line.
Dental implants however provide a longer-lasting, more permanent solution that solves the problem of gaps in your mouth both aesthetically and functionally – by surgically replacing the missing tooth at its root.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
Despite having been readily available through trusted dental providers for a number of years now, many people who are living with missing teeth are still unaware of what dental implants are – or the potential benefits they offer.
Conventional dentures – which are one of the most common treatments for lost teeth – have a shelf life of roughly just 5 to 10 years. This means that patients who receive denture treatment will often have to return to the dentist chair multiple times.
Dental implants however are a permanent solution that rarely require any return dental visits after they have been installed.
Another benefit of dental implants is that they prevent a loss in bone density around the affected area. This is a common issue that is faced by people who refrain from treating a gap in their teeth, as the unstimulated bone tissue around the gap is eventually reabsorbed and dispersed elsewhere.
When this happens a person’s entire facial structure can change – often giving them a more hollow or older looking complexion. Through dental implants however this problem is negated as the bone tissue around the tooth is kept active as it would be if the original tooth was still in place.
How can I get dental implants?
If you have one or more missing teeth, it’s always a good idea to speak to a local, trusted dental provider about your implant options.
Sadly, not everyone will always be eligible for dental implant treatment.
This is because the small surgical procedure which the treatment calls for requires patients to have a clean bill of oral health – which means that problems such as periodontal disease or tooth decay may prevent the success of the treatment, and therefore must be dealt with before implants can be considered.
Providing that you do not need any preliminary dental treatments before implants can be usefully installed however, the following processes are relatively simple and involve extensive photography and digital mapping of the interior of your mouth so that an implant which is identical to your surrounding teeth can be created.
Dental implants have the potential to completely transform both the smile of a patient, and their self-confidence – which usually results in an increased desire to actually use their newly improved smile.
