A missing tooth may be the cause of much embarrassment and loss of confidence in individuals who experience this unfortunate reality, not only that, but a set of loose dentures may cause discomfort and insecurity when it comes to talking as well as eating certain foods. Getting dental implants in Stoke-on-Trent at Campbell Dental can bring back vitality and confidence to your life by securing the best set of implants for your mouth, allowing you to put the worries of missing teeth behind you while you get on with more important matters.
The history of dental implants
Dental implants have a long history, archeologists have found evidence to suggest that the ancient Chinese used bamboo pegs to replace missing teeth, the purpose of this was for the same reasons we have today; which is to achieve a desired aesthetic.
The procedure closer to what we have today however was first conducted in the 1960s and the patient still had his implants 40 years later, since then much research has been done on the system, and trials in perfecting it have brought us to a place where this is one of the best options for replacing a missing tooth.
What are they?
The dental implants in Stoke-on-Trent are small screws made of a metal alloy which has high tensile strength and toughness, helping them to endure the years of being embedded in your jawbone.
The screws act as a natural root of a tooth and are in fact much stronger, the bone of your jaw grows around the screw, which provides a stable platform on which natural-looking false teeth in the form of crowns and dentures may be anchored.
The procedure
Depending on how many implants need to be performed, the outpatient surgery can take anywhere from 30 minutes for a single implant to 3-4 hours for multiple ones, which is a more complex procedure.
The dental implants in Stoke-on-Trent involve various options for you to consider. Anything from replacing a single tooth to anchoring a whole row of teeth on a different number of implants can be considered, depending on your specific needs. Whatever you and your dentist decide is the best option for you, when it comes to the surgery the procedure is the same.
The dentist will make a cut along the edge of your gum in the area of the missing teeth to expose the bone. Holes are then drilled into the bone to create enough space to screw in the metal dental implant to serve as the new tooth’s root. A follow-up appointment will be made when the bone has had time to fuse with the implant and a crown or cap will then be fitted to the secure implant. The entire process can take about 6-8 months.
Is it painful?
The procedure itself is said to have minimal discomfort with patients noting that having a tooth extracted was more painful. Post-operative pain may be managed with over the counter pain medication, however if you require multiple implants in one surgery then post-operative discomfort may be higher and the dentist will provide you with a prescription for pain medication to manage it.