Whether through accident or decay, there is no doubt that losing teeth can have an emotional impact.
We have very quickly come from a time when the expectation was that virtually everyone would lose all or some of their teeth and the only option was to replace them with dentures. Fortunately, technology has progressed and you no longer need to suffer in silence with missing teeth and loose dentures.
Dental implants provide a long-lasting solution to missing teeth, they feel and work just like a real tooth. Dental Implants can replace one or more missing teeth and securely hold dentures and bridges in place.
A dental implant comes in two parts.
The first is an artificial root made from titanium that replaces the root of a missing tooth. This can be placed in either the upper or lower jaw and in time will bond with the jawbone.
The second part is attached to the dental implant root. For those missing one tooth, a crown will be created to perfectly match your existing teeth. If you have a full set of dentures, this can be attached to four or six dental implants – you don’t need one implant root for every missing tooth.
With our dental implant surgeon, Dr Deepesh Patel at Brixworth Dental Practice, Northampton.
Including x- rays, models of the mouth and photos. This is extremely important as we need to ensure you have enough bone to support the implant.
It is important that you have as much time as you need to discuss and understand what is involved with this treatment and our aim is to ensure that all your questions are answered prior to commencing any treatment.
Our implant surgeon will apply a local anaesthetic and place the titanium post in the location of the missing tooth. This procedure takes between one and two hours and is relatively painless due to the local anaesthetic. You may experience a small amount of discomfort following the placement of the implant but this will subside and healing will occur relatively quickly.
Once your implant integrates with the bone, we are able to restore the implant. After taking moulds of the position of the implants, the final ‘teeth’ can be individually designed, manufactured and attached to the implant. Once in place, they will look, feel and function as a natural tooth.
The care and maintenance of your implants is the most important part of the longevity of implant treatment. Dr Nilesh Patel, with the help of our hygienists, will help guide you to maintain your implants and will establish a maintenance plan for you. This is as important for the health of all your own teeth as it is for your implants.
Book nowDr Nilesh Patel, Clinical Lead and Principal Dentist graduated in 2011 from Kings College London. With a passion for education and always striving to improve his dental knowledge, Dr. Nilesh Patel has also completed courses in cosmetic dentistry, endodontics, Invisalign and facial aesthetics so you can be assured that you are in safe and competent hands.
Our finance options enable us to tailor your payment plan to your needs and you will receive a detailed treatment plan and fixed price quote before embarking on any treatment, allowing you to know exactly what to expect.
The cost will be completely dependent on your circumstances and we will provide you with a full and detailed estimate for any proposed treatments.
For routine cases from the time of the implant placement to the time that the tooth or teeth are placed can take between six weeks and six months.
Once implants have been placed they can be used as supports for an individual tooth or multiple teeth. They can also be used to fix a denture in place with small stud like fastenings. Their use depends entirely upon your actual need. Few problems cannot be fixed, but each case needs to be assessed carefully on its own merit and you need to decide on how far you are willing to go to achieve your end goal.
Dental implants have very few restrictions and age is no barrier. It is true that it is best not to delay too long after teeth have been removed as there is a natural process of bone shrinkage following tooth removal. This can make it more difficult to place an implant, but that is not a barrier to implant placement. If you have a gap or dentures, an implant or implants could be a very good choice for you.
It is surprising that there is generally little pain felt after the procedure. Most often, there is less discomfort than the loss of the original tooth or teeth, with the vast majority of implant placement processes causing little pain or discomfort.
Yes - titanium alloy has a proven track record of safety and is prized for its ability to be accepted by our body.
The number of implants needed is dependent on the spaces you have and the treatment plan designed by Dr Nilesh Patel and yourself. As has been mentioned before, an implant does not necessarily support just one tooth.
Fantastic results and support throughout my treatment. I would recommend this to anyone that has worries or doubts about their teeth and / or smile.
GH
