Category “Dental implants”

People with Gaps in Their Smile in Central London can Find the Solution with Dental Implants

May 12th, 2012

Tooth loss can happen for a number of reasons to people in Central London, including injury, tooth decay, or as a part of aging. If a tooth is lost, it is important to have the gap filled in some way, or the effects could end up causing you further pain.

Effects of untreated tooth loss

Oral hygiene is much more difficult if a gap is left in your teeth and bacteria can build up in the space, leading to bad breath and infection. In addition, losing teeth can affect your speech function, as well as the ability to eat the foods you want, as you simply would not have the teeth to bite or chew. An even more serious consequence is bone loss. As your teeth sit in your mouth, the tissue surrounding them is regenerated as part of your body’s normal healing process. However, if you lose a tooth and leave a gap, the material – including the bone – around the gap will start to atrophy. In other words, the bone will start to disappear. This can change the shape of your jaw, and contribute to you looking more aged.

Dental implants

Thankfully, dental implants can help stop these problems. Dental implants are small metal rods, inserted into the jaw structure, which help to hold replacement teeth in place. The implants are made of titanium, which easily fuse with the bone structure in your jaw. Rather than a loss of bone, as would happen with a gap in teeth, an implant helps stimulate bone growth. In addition, implants can function just like your own teeth, allowing you to speak and eat as normal. They only require the same oral hygiene routine as your other teeth, and will allow you to have a natural looking and feeling smile.

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What does a bone graft involve and why would you need it at City of London dentists?

January 23rd, 2012

The aim of bone grafting is to restore damaged bone, which has fractures or chips that pose health risks, such as infection. In dentistry, bone grafting is safely used to strengthen the bone of the jaw, which has either shrunk or become thinner.

Why a dental bone graft?

People experience jawbone loss for a range of reasons. These may include:

  • Genetic/hereditary bone development.
  • Tooth loss due to tooth decay, gingivitis or periodontal disease.
  • Injured jaw and broken jawbone or teeth.
  • Over-worn dentures.
  • The ageing process in general.

Dentists use bone grafts to restructure the jawbone or teeth where necessary and use dental implants to replace missing tooth roots and then use crowns or bridges to replace the missing teeth.

How does dental bone graft work?

Your dentist will take dental x-rays and/or a CAT scan of your facial structure, jawbone and mouth. The images are used to diagnose the severity of your bone loss. Once determined, your dentist will provide you with a diagnosis and recommendation for treatment, such as bone grafting and dental implants. There are four different types of bone grafts used to build jawbone and your dentist will recommend the most appropriate graft harvest. Types of bone grafts include:

  • Autograft – your chin or hip bone
  • Allograft – another’s chin or hip bone
  • Xenograft – an animal’s bone
  • Alloplastic – synthetic bone

During the harvesting to grafting procedure, anaesthetic or sedation is administered to eliminate any pain in surgery. A small section of bone is removed from the chin or hip and this bone fragment is then carefully grafted into your jawbone through an incision in the gum. A healing and bone fusion period follows and if necessary further dental treatment, such as implants. Bone grafting is considered a safe procedure with a low rejection rate when your own bone is used as harvest.

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Straumann dental implants are the implant of choice at City of London dentists

January 21st, 2012

Dental decay can cause damage to teeth and infection in the roots. In some cases, it is necessary for a dentist to treat infected teeth and replace the tooth root with a titanium or titanium zirconium implant to serve as a tooth root base onto which artificial teeth, such as crowns or bridges, are fixed. The implants also serve to anchor dental prostheses and act as a natural set of teeth.

What are Straumann Dental Implants?

Straumann dental implants are Swiss-designed implants made with intensive international research, to develop high quality and safe options for missing teeth replacements. The company is the worldwide leader for oral tissue regeneration and dental implantology solutions. With a collaborative approach to research and “simply doing more,” patients will feel the benefit of Straumann dental implants, which can last a lifetime.

What are the benefits of Straumann Dental Implants?

Missing teeth can affect your mouth function, oral health, smile and your confidence. Straumann dental implants restore gaps caused by tooth loss or damage and give you a secure set of restorations without the need for adhesives. Using Straumann implants means a second chance for your smile.

Other benefits include strengthening the jawbone and teeth and providing additional tone to your facial structure.

Why choose Straumann Dental Implants?

Straumann dental implants give you a lot more than a new healthy set of teeth. These implants are designed to:

  • Improve and secure your dental function.
  • Enhance your visual appearance naturally.
  • Eliminate the need for dental plates for more comfort.
  • Preserve your jawbone structure for proper bite.
  • Support tooth form and maintain healthy tooth surface.
  • Give you a quality smile that makes you feel beautiful.
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How to use denture fixative and what City of London dentists can do if this just isn’t enough

January 3rd, 2012

People who have suffered gum disease, gingivitis or periodontal disease may be given dental treatment to prevent further infection, such as root canal treatment and replacement teeth, including dentures, dental implants or crowns.

Wearing dentures, whether part or full, as teeth replacements that slot onto your remaining teeth to support your teeth structure can sometimes bring certain challenges, particularly if the dentures slip.

Why use denture fixative?

Denture fixative can be used to secure the dentures to your own teeth, and for:

  • Giving you a sense of greater confidence when wearing dentures – not fearing that the denture may fall out or wobble when you speak.
  • Reducing denture movement when you eat or speak.
  • Preventing gum irritation and pressure if dentures do slip, particularly during physical games or sports.
  • Filling gaps where food may lodge and cause a build-up of dental plaque.

How is denture fixative used?

There are a range of denture fixatives available, from strips to powders and creams. You can use the following steps to apply denture fixative to secure your dentures and prevent them from moving around in your mouth:

  • Clean your own teeth and dentures using brushing with toothpaste and denture cleaning solution.
  • Then make sure you have dried your dentures.
  • Now apply small amounts of the denture fixative where it is needed – do not let it ooze out!
  • Rinse your mouth and insert your dentures, holding them down to adhere to the dental fixative.
  • Keep holding and allow the dentures to seal to the fixative for about seven to ten seconds.
  • Try not to eat or drink for about twenty minutes thereafter.
  • You can remove excess fixative by brushing it and your dentures with warm water.

What if denture fixative still doesn’t work?

If you’re still having challenges with movement of your dentures, even when you use dental fixative, speak with your dentist about solutions, such as dental implants. With dental implants, titanium “roots” permanently hold replacement teeth, like crowns, bridges and dentures in place, so that you don’t have to worry about feeling orally clumsy anymore!

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Get functional teeth within a short space of time at City of London dentists

December 3rd, 2011

Losing teeth is a common predicament for adults over 60 years old. For others of a younger age, tooth loss may be due to accident or injury. Dentures are the most obvious solution, but traditional dentures are not very stable and can be very problematic. All on 4 implants is a fixed, long-term and aesthetically pleasing solution for your dental replacement problems. Within a day you can have a complete and functional smile, without the need for any bone-grafting.

The Procedure

4 implants are fitted in the jaw, which provides the stable base for a denture or bridge. The implants at the posterior of the mouth are placed at an angle of 45 degrees to allow for maximum support. Patients with low bone levels on their jaw are required to go through a long and tiring process of bone grafting. However, with All on 4 you can achieve the beautiful, functional smile you desire without the need for bone grafting. Once the implants are placed, the dentist can fix a dental prosthesis to your jaw for a complete and stable smile.

Benefits

The overall time taken, from your first sitting with the dentist to complete recovery after surgery, takes a matter of days. The dentist will fix the temporary prosthesis within 2 to 3 sittings and the remaining days will be needed to fully recover from the surgery.  The temporary prosthesis has a lifespan of 5 to 10 years, but you can opt for a permanent prosthesis 6 months after treatment, which can last a lifetime.

Traditional dental implant techniques can take anywhere between one year to eighteen month and are unsuitable for patient’s with low bone density, whereas All on 4 can provide results in a day and does not require any invasive bone grafting procedures.

Post Surgery Care

Some precautionary steps must be taken after surgery, in order to avoid infection and to reduce pain. Cold and soft food should be eaten for the first 2 days and ice packs can be applied to the affected area in order to reduce swelling. Just one day is required for recovery after the process, but a few more days is required to completely recover from the bruises.

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City of London dentists take a look at some of the different kinds of dental implant

November 28th, 2011

When it comes to dental implants it is important to know what types of implants are available and which is best for you. So…

Root form dental implant:

This is used when there is a lot of breadth and deepness to the patient’s jawbone.  When having root form implants fitted you will receive anaesthetic and your dentist will then proceed to expose an area of the jawbone before preparing it for the insertion of the implant. Once the implant is inserted and fitted into the correct place, your gums will be stitched back together and left to heal, which usually takes about six months. Once the implant is fully healed and the implant has fused with the jawbone, the abutment will then be attached. However, if you have a narrow jawbone, or your jawbone is too thin for root form implants implant, you may require bone-grafting treatment.

Plate form Implant:

If your jawbone is too narrow for an implant and bone grafting, then a plate form implant can be used instead. This implant is both smooth and long, which makes it a better shape to fit into a slender jawbone. The procedure is the same as the root form dental implant and will usually take around three to six months to heal. However, in some cases restorations can be fitted straightaway, but this will be the choice of your dentist.

Immediate Load Dental Implant:

This implant is immediately placed after the extraction of a tooth and the crown will be immediately attached to the abutment. In order to qualify for this procedure you must have a significant amount of bone in order to stabilise the implant. When having this type of implant there are two different procedures: the first requires an impression made of your jawbone after it has been exposed, which is then used to make a bespoke fitted implant for your jaw. The implant is then fitted into place on the exposed jawbone, before being stitched after the installation of the teeth. The other alternative is to have a CAT scan instead of an impression of your jaw in order to build the implant.

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Your City of London dentist looks at the uses of vampire teeth this Halloween

October 31st, 2011

With Halloween soon arriving people in London and around the country will soon be dressing up as all sorts, including, Frankenstein, werewolves and vampires.

If you are thinking of becoming a vampire this Halloween you will need a scary set of fangs and you can buy false teeth from many shops. There are the cheap plastic vampire teeth, available in most shops for those who aren’t bothered with taking them out to talk, eat and drink. Then there are the more expensive customised vampire teeth, which some costume companies specialise in, but these can be quite hard to come by and as mentioned above are expensive. However, there is now an even stranger alternative available to make you the scariest looking vampire at the party.

A dentist can now bond temporary realistic, vampire fangs to your teeth, which will allow you to eat, drink and talk, without constantly having to remove your fangs.

The procedure is pretty straightforward and painless. The dentist will use a tooth coloured composite in the shape of fangs, which is then added to the person’s canine teeth to give them that authentic vampire look. The procedure is done very carefully, so as not to damage teeth and only takes around 15 minutes to apply.

The teeth themselves aren’t permanent, as they may interfere with the jaw’s normal muscle movement. To have them removed you would once again need to return to your dentist for the procedure. It only takes around ten minutes and is just as painless as having them inserted.

There is also the even stranger – yes, even stranger – option of dental implant vampire teeth that some people have had at other dentists in the past. However, this the jaw is not meant to accommodate such large canines and these kind of dental implants can be problematic.

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How Dental Implants Can Give You a Recovered Smile at Your City of London Dentist

October 14th, 2011

There is a reason why dental implants have become the number one choice for replacing missing teeth and that is because they are quite simply the best option. This article looks at a particular type of implants, known as subperiosteal implants.

Subperiosteal Implants

This procedure is usually reserved for those who are unable to receive the root and plate-form surgery. This requires a custom built device to sit on top of the jawbone. There are two forms of this surgery –‘single’ and ‘dual’ surgery. Single surgery is performed through an x-ray scan that will allow for a model of your jawbone to be made. Using the model of your jaw provided by the x-ray scan, a custom implant is created. The implant is then placed through dental surgery where the jawbone is exposed and the implant placed onto the bone then stitched shut.

The dual process is when firstly the jawbone is exposed then a mould is taken and your wounds are stitched up. The mould is then sent to a laboratory to create the implant ready for your return. When you return for your second procedure the jawbone is exposed again and the implant fitted onto the bone. After the implant is fitted the gums a stitched shut and the replacement teeth are attached.

All attachments can facilitate both single and multiple teeth.

Dental implants work through a small screw that is inserted into the gum and then fuses with the jaw bone during the healing process. It will be common for patients having to wait until the tissue in the gums has healed before dentists can perform the instillations. There are different types of connectors that sit on the top of the implant, a few of these are ‘internal taper’, ‘external hex’ and ‘internal hex’. The reason for this is so the dentist will be able to connect the implants to the replacement teeth.

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Dental Implants to Recover Your Smile at Your City of London Dentist

October 7th, 2011

Dental implants are a way of replacing missing teeth. There are a number of ways and methods in which implants can be fitted and they can vary from patient to patient. This article looks at root-form implants and plate-form implants.

Root-form Implants

Sometimes referred to as root-form endosseous implants, these tooth implants are connected to the bone of your jaw. It is then possible for singular or multiple implants to be installed. The Root-form process is a common method of implants and can be in two forms – screw or cylinder. These implants work through a small screw or cylinder that is inserted into the gum and then fuses with the jaw bone during the healing process. Once healed there is a fixture is attached that will connect the new teeth. One of the first procedures will be to make incisions into the area of the gums that are receiving the treatment.

During this time the dentist will insert the implant device then stitch the area shut. This healing process can take up to 6 months and during which the implant will begin to fuse to the jawbone. When you return your dentist will check the screw or cylinder has attached itself to the bone by opening the previous wounds, once they are satisfied they will proceed to attach a fixture that will allow the replacement teeth to be attached. Root-form Implants are very common but they rely on the jawbone being dense enough to hold the implant. If your dentist feels the jawbone is too narrow they can offer and alternative treatment.

Plate-form Implants

The plate-form implants are initially intended for patients whose jawbone may be too narrow for a root-form implant. These are flat and long plates that can be attached to the bone of the jaw. The installation and treatment process is very similar way to the process of root-form implants.

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Your City of London dentist is here to inform you of the factors that will affect whether you can get implants

September 23rd, 2011

Dental implants can be very demanding on the body of the patient. The amount of trauma the gums and jawbone experience mean that there are a number of standards that must be met.

Most dental implants involve the implant being fused with the jawbone. This is often achieved by inserting the implant through the gum. In procedures such as the common ‘root-form’, implants require a number of deep incisions in the gums, even the advanced and more simplistic ‘all-on-four’ method requires a certain level of trauma to the mouth.

Bone density

Bone density is a major concern to dentists when performing an implant procedure; since it is required that the implant must be inserted into the jawbone where it will fuse. The jawbone is required to be dense enough to facilitate and hold the implant screw. If the dentist believes the bone is not dense enough they can recommend a bone graph or a less demanding implant procedure.

Gum disease

Gum disease can be very detrimental to anyone who is looking to have implants. Not only must the gums be healthy enough to withstand the procedure but also infection and disease will possibly spread and be detrimental to the implants if oral hygiene is poor.

Smokers

It has been documented on how smokers have a higher failure rate when it comes to implants. As with nearly all procedures, smoking can create complications in operations. The general health of a person is required to be at a good level when undergoing these sorts of procedures. If you are a regular smoker your dentist may need to decide whether you smoke too much to give you implants.

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