Dental Impants

An artificial titanium root that is placed within your jaw bone to replace missing teeth.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are prosthetic tooth roots made of titanium that are inserted into the jawbone. Following this, a crown is attached to the implant, which gives it the appearance and function of natural teeth, making it an excellent long-term solution for missing teeth. Implants can be used to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or even a full jaw’s worth of missing teeth. Dentures can also be fixed by attaching clips to dental implants to prevent movement.

A dental implant consists of two major components: the crown, or “tooth portion,” and the implant, or “root part.” The implant is put in the jawbone and let to recover for three to four months before the tooth part/crown is fastened into place.

Several studies have demonstrated extraordinarily high long-term success rates of 95 to 98 percent, as well as good cosmetic and functional outcomes for dental implants.

Not only will replacing missing teeth with implants reduce the appearance of spaces between your teeth, but it will also prevent adjacent teeth from shifting and becoming crooked. Implants can also help maintain your jaw and prevent bone loss, preventing the “sunken face” appearance.

Why dental Implants? / Benefits of Dental implants?

Dental Implants are the closest thing you can get to a natural tooth again. Whilst there are many differences, dental implants are a more stable and natural treatment option than dentures.

For more information on the detrimental affects of missing teeth please click here.

A more natural and aesthetic smile

Implant crowns are constructed out of ceramic which are tougher and more natural appearing than the teeth on a denture which are made out of acrylic. These ceramic crowns are also stain- and wear-resistant.

Confidence

Dental implants can provide you with the confidence to eat, chew, speak, and smile without the fear of your dentures coming out. This, in addition to the natural-looking appearance, is a major reason why so many people choose to have dental implants.

Comfort

Dental implants feel much like real teeth. They eliminate the requirement for metal arms commonly found on dentures. These metal arms frequently put tension on neighbouring teeth, causing damage over time.
As implant teeth are maintained by the titanium root, there is no need for a “flange” or denture extension into the palate or root of the mouth. Dentures often require this, and as a result, they are thicker in the mouth and inhibit correct food taste.

Speech

To make a “th” sound, the tongue touches the upper row of teeth, while to produce a “v,” the upper row of teeth makes contact with the lower lip.
Teeth are also responsible for helping you pronounce the letters “g,” “s,” and “z” and the sounds “ch” and “sh.”
Dentures are a common tooth replacement option, but they don’t always help with speech since they slip, preventing the tongue from forming the necessary phonetic sounds.
Dental implants, on the other hand, are a long-term option that enhances speech by allowing you to speak naturally.

Preserve your healthy teeth

Dental implants can replace one or more of your teeth without compromising the health of your neighbouring teeth by chopping them down or utilising them as bridge or denture anchors.

Notice the need to shave adjacent tooth structure down to accommodate a fixed bridge.

Maintain bone

As dental implants are fused to the jawbone, the stimulation of forces during daily chewing helps to preserve the surrounding bone. In essence the function of the implants through chewing ‘tells’ the bone to stay. Whereas with dentures there is no stimulation to the bone to ‘tell’ the bone to stay. Shrinkage of the jawbone can then cause changes to the natural shape of our lips and face.

Reliability, durability and convenience

Implants are often quite durable and can endure for many years. A single tooth crown, for instance, has a 97.4% 10-year survival rate.
Because implants operate similarly to natural teeth, there is no need to remove them for cleaning, enabling you to go about your day without embarrassment or hassle.