If you have been concerned about your smile having gaps, you may have been wondering what you can do about replacing missing teeth at a dental Coorparoo. You may have missing teeth because you’ve had an accident; you could have lost them due to gum disease, or you could simply have had an age-related problem resulting in losing your teeth. Whatever the reason, having missing teeth can affect your self-esteem and make you feel self-conscious about smiling. Many people may associate missing teeth with grannies and dentures that are kept in a glass of water, but there are alternative treatments.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants can replace one missing tooth, several missing teeth or even a full set. They consist of titanium screws that are attached to the jawbone and act as artificial roots for your replacement teeth. The titanium metal bonds with your jawbone as your jaw heals from having the implants attached and this means that they should be fixed firmly in place. Crowns, dentures or bridges can then be attached to the titanium screws. Any patients considering dental at Coorparoo would be advised to ask their dentist about this treatment if they are concerned about having missing teeth.
What are the advantages of dental implants?
There are many advantages to having dental implants and anyone seeking them should consider the risks as well as the advantages of having implants. The advantages of having dental implants are that once the replacement teeth are fitted, they should be firmly fixed in place and this means that you should be able to eat and drink whatever you like without having to worry about your teeth loosening. It also follows that they should feel like your original teeth and nobody else should be able to tell that you haven’t got a full set of natural teeth. Also, looking after them is fairly easy as you can brush and floss as normal, and you won’t get cavities in your replacement teeth!
Having dental implants can also improve a patient’s speech; if you’ve had missing teeth, this can affect the way you speak. Moreover, having missing teeth can also affect the structure of the face, giving people a more shrunken appearance. Once you have dental implants, you may find that you have a more youthful look thanks to the implants supporting your bone structure better. This may also make you feel more comfortable as you are no longer trying to speak or eat with missing teeth.
A further benefit of implants is that by filling in the gaps in your smile, you are protecting your gums from being exposed, as well as protecting any remaining natural teeth you may have from exposure to bacteria. Implants should be very durable and cannot be lost as dentures can be. They are highly convenient as they don’t need to be removed in public and you don’t need to use adhesives as you would do with dentures.
What do I need to do?
If you are interested in finding out more about dental implants, you should book in for a consultation with your dentist to see if dental implants could be the right treatment for you.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.