Are you based in Navan and have been considering dental implants? You may have heard of the dental treatment but you may be unsure as to whether you are suitable to receive it.
Or maybe you have experienced an injury or accident which has resulted in the loss of your tooth or multiple teeth. Whatever the case may be, if you have lost a tooth or number of teeth and you would like this treatment you will be happy to know that the chances are you will be suitable for dental implants.
Are dental implants right for me?
If you have experienced the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth, you will be familiar with the dental problems which come with dealing with missing teeth.
Losing a tooth can not only affect an individual’s confidence or lower self-esteem, but can also affect a person’s speech, what they are able to eat and can alter their bite, as the remaining teeth try to make up for those that have been lost.
Luckily, dental implants are a long term solution for anyone who is suffering from the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth.
What to expect when receiving dental implants
If a patient decides to have dental implants they will first be invited to a practice for a detailed assessment with one of the dental professionals there, to ensure that the dental treatment is suitable for them. If the dental professional is satisfied that dental implants are the best solution, the patient will be invited for a second appointment to commence the treatment.
Dental implants are essentially screws which are usually made out of titanium. At the appointment to start the dental implant treatment, a small incision is made in the gum where the tooth should be. This incision allows the dentist to insert this metal screw into the jawbone.
The metal screw acts as a secure base in order for the artificial tooth to be placed on it, but before this can happen the bone needs to fuse with the screw before the artificial tooth can be fixed.
This is because the screw needs to be as stable as possible to ensure the treatment is long lasting. The incision is also carried out under local anaesthetic so nervous patients can rest assured that they will experience minimal pain during this part of the treatment.
It can take up to twelve weeks for this fusion to take place however, it is all dependent on the individual. Once the dentist is satisfied that this fusion has taken place and the incision has healed, the dentist will move on to the next stage of the dental implant treatment.
Using a screw, a post will be attached to the implant. This post will be important when attaching the crown, which will be custom made to match the shape and shade of the individual’s remaining teeth. This crown is made using either porcelain and/or metal to ensure that it is long lasting.
As the final and most important step of the process, the crown is attached to the post either by screwing it on to the post, or cementing it on.