What are dental implants in St John’s Wood?
Dental implants are titanium medical screws that are surgically implanted into the jaw in order to provide support for artificial teeth, crowns or bridges. At Abbey Road Dental, we highly recommend dental implants in St John’s Wood for you if you have lost a tooth due to disease or injury, have suffered from rapid bone loss or experienced sudden changes to your usual chewing patterns.
Why choose dental implants?
We understand that missing teeth can harm your day-to-day life and even your confidence, so dental implants in St John’s Wood can provide a long-term solution to the issues that missing or loose teeth cause. One of the more obvious benefits is that they offer a natural-looking solution as the jaw bone naturally fuses to the titanium implant over three months, thus securing it so that it functions like a natural tooth. Missing teeth can make basic tasks such as chewing and talking difficult or even painful; dental implants can restore your bite and give you the strength to chew hard foods such as apples and meats.
Dental implants in St John’s Wood can last very long, provided they are looked after well. Dentures and bridges require replacing over time due to the natural shrinkage of the gum; however, dental implants are a fixed solution, lasting up to ten years or more and do not require you to remove them every night.
Another benefit of having dental implants is that they prevent bone loss, which can occur when you lose a tooth. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone beneath will begin to shrink as it is no longer stimulated by the root of the tooth; this eventually causes the shape of your face to change, thus making you appear older than you are. Understandably, this can cause severe distress to a person, which is why we highly recommend dental implants to stimulate the jawbone thereby preventing further bone loss.
The process
The process of having dental implants fitted usually consists of three to four stages which your dentist will discuss with you at your consultation beforehand. The first is a pre-operative assessment where our dentist will assess whether dental implants are a suitable option for you based on the condition of your teeth, jaw and gums and whether you have any health conditions that could make dental implants unsuitable. The second stage will involve bone grafting if you require it and the installation of the implant, which usually takes no longer than 15 minutes. This stage usually takes the longest time since the healing process can take up to six months to allow bone cells to grow around the implant. The final stage involves fixing a crown, bridge or denture to the implant and can often be completed within one sitting regardless of how many false teeth have to be fixed onto the implants.
You must note that all procedures come with risks; these will be discussed by our dentist. However, we highly encourage you to ask us any further questions or concerns you may have during your consultation.