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Dr Azhar Sheikh – Dentist with 25 Years Experience. Our Promise & Professional Commitment:
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What are Dental Implants?

Let’s discuss first what dental implants are, before we proceed on their importance. In the field of dentistry, a dental implant made of strong titanium or titanium alloy is commonly a screw that in its simplest form takes the place of a root of a natural tooth. Implants are used to support a variety of restorations in the mouth. These can be fixed – single teeth (crown) or groups of missing teeth (bridges). Implants can also be used to provide strong support and stability for removable appliances such as dentures so that the dentures are more stable, easier to manage and can provide more biting force and enjoyment. Dental implants involve a surgical placement phase and after a healing phase the teeth are made (Dental Crowns) and secured onto the dental implants which is the prosthetic phase.

Animation: Dental Implant & Crown being Placed

Typical Implant Scenarios:

Replace a single missing tooth (Implant with a Dental Crown)
Replace multiple missing teeth with crowns.
Fix groups of missing teeth (2 or more implants with a bridge
Provide strong support and stability for dentures
Complete Same-day Implants (or Same-day smile) which is a fixed Dental Bridge fixed to multiple Implants for those with failing or failed dentitions.
Complete Smile Reconstruction (or Rehabilitation): Full mouth Implants combined with advanced bone grafting treatments for those with little to no teeth. A complete new smile with individual teeth (Crowns)

Know Your Dental Implants

Dental implants are usually screws that are placed directly into the jawbone, so they can serve as “roots” to hold or support the artificial teeth. They may be used to replace a tooth or several teeth which have been lost due to a dental disease or injury. Dental implants are designed to function the same way as natural teeth, so that within limits you can still enjoy your favourite foods, speak normally and smile with confidence.

Aside from replacing lost teeth, dental implants can also act as a support for dentures, making the dentures more comfortable to use and more secure. The implants can also be used as a support for a dental bridge so you would not have to deal with partial, removable dentures. While they can support dentures and bridges, dental implants on their own can provide you with more natural-looking, and more comfortable usage – so you can go on your daily lives feeling like you have never lost a tooth at all.

Animation: Multi-Unit Implant Bridge

Animation: 1 Day Implants also known as (Same Day Implants & All on 4)

Missing Teeth Problems Solved

Do you have missing teeth? Are you confused about what treatment you should choose?

A Single Missing Tooth – A single tooth missing causes a gap to form in your smile. Depending on the location of this missing tooth, you may experience difficulties in chewing, eating, or speaking. A portion of the jawbone will also deteriorate even if you have lost just one tooth. A single tooth implant connected to a dental crown can replace the form and function of one missing tooth to make your smile complete once more.
Several Teeth Missing – Several missing teeth will have a huge impact on your appearance, the way you eat, and the way you speak. Jawbone deterioration will also set in if the problem of missing teeth is not solved right away. Multiple dental implants attached to bespoke dental crowns replace the form and function of several missing teeth, giving you a healthy and natural-looking smile.
Loose Dentures – Are you disadvantaged or debilitated by loose dentures that move or fall out with the slightest speech or function? Do you want to bring back the confidence of your smile? Dentures or dental bridges can be held firmly in place with the help of dental implants, which are attached directly into the jawbone. Implant-supported bridges and dentures will not move inside your mouth, giving you back the confidence to smile, speak, and eat your favourite food items.
Severe Gum Disease – Severe gum problems can result in loose teeth or missing teeth if not treated early. The loss of these natural teeth is restored with dental implants, which act as replacements for the tooth roots lost. Teeth replacements, such as dental crowns or a dental bridge, will then be attached to the implants to complete the smile restoration.

Types of Dental Implants

Endosteal Implants
the most common type of dental implant used, which means “in the bone”. The vast majority of these are root form “screw” type implants. Various kinds of endosteal implants may include the placement of cylinders, screws, frames or blades directly into the jawbone, with each of the implants holding one or more prosthetic (or artificial) teeth. Endosteal implants are more commonly used for patients with removable dentures or bridges.

Subperiosteal Implants
meaning “on the bone”, these types of dental implants are used with the metal framework’s posts placed on top of the jawbone, with the posts running through the gums to hold the prosthetic teeth. Subperiosteal implants are more commonly used for patients who have limited jaw bone height, or those who cannot (for various reasons) wear ordinary dentures.

Am I a Suitable Candidate?

Before the dental implants are placed, your gums and jaws will have to be carefully assessed in detail to ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure. You will definitely be required to have your teeth X-rayed, and in some instances you may also be asked for a computer tomography scan (CT scan); these procedures will help in determining the quality, quantity and suitability of your gums and bone. Implant anatomy will also have to be assessed to to ascertain whether implants are possible. this includes blood and nerve vessels and sinus chambers. In addition, the tests will also give a clearer picture of the specific type of dental implant you will need, so your dental implant professional can give you the treatment that suits you best.

I Want Perfect Teeth!

Sorry no such thing! – define perfection. You have to understand that implants are a substitute for your natural teeth not a direct replacement and they cannot replicate them exactly. your teeth are a precious natural commodity given to you once in your life and you can never have another set like them. It is fair to say that dental implants will more than anything else, most closely resemble natural teeth in the way they look, feel and work but there are limits to this. The limits are constraints that your mouth, anatomy, available bone, personal time and costs will place on your replacement teeth. Usually it is not possible to give you a set of artificial teeth to exactly match the natural teeth that you used to have. The longer ago the tooth loss occurred and the more teeth that were lost the truer this statement is.

However is it usually possible to have a set of implanted teeth that function well, look and feel good.

Do Dental Implants Hurt?

Dental implant treatment can like all other forms of dentistry be done painlessly and without anxiety. However one should allow for some post operative discomfort which can be satisfactorily controlled with simple medication and local measures. All necessary aftercare advice and instructions will be given to you before and after any procedures. It is usually necessary to allow some change to your daily routine to allow time off work and an opportunity to rest . Everybody varies in their response to surgery and your surgery and post operative care will be tailored to your personal needs.

How Does Missing Teeth, Gum Diseases or Dentures Affect Your Life? Here are Just Some of Our Patient Experiences:

Do you find yourself avoiding certain activities and situations since you lost your natural teeth, or since you started having loose denture problems?

Missing teeth problems affect not only your appearance, but your confidence as well. If you have missing teeth, you may have experienced difficulties in some, if not all, of the situations below:

Eating – It’s very had to enjoy eating even the most delicious meals if you have missing teeth. Biting on that slice of pizza, or that freshly-grilled corn on the cob, will be very difficult to do if you have missing natural teeth. The same problem is experienced by those who have loose dentures, which can also make even your favourite food items taste weird.
Social Gatherings – Social events are challenging to attend if you have an incomplete smile. Just imagine how awkward it is to converse, or even smile, at people if you have several missing teeth – or if you are worried that your loose dentures can fall out at any time! The lack of confidence will eventually take its toll, and you may find yourself avoiding any type of social event altogether when you have missing teeth, or loose dentures.
Work/Office Setting – Dealing with your colleagues and bosses in the office can be very embarrassing when you have missing teeth. You may not have the confidence to give presentations, attend meetings, or even talk to your officemates, knowing that you have an incomplete smile. Ill-fitting dentures are another source of embarrassment in the office, and when you have to deal with clients.
Love Life – Do you find yourself shying away from dates because you have missing teeth? Are you scared of going on dates because your loose dentures might move when you are speaking to that special someone? Missing teeth and loose denture problems can wreak havoc on your love life.

Are you ready to enjoy a better quality of life – and a boost of confidence – after suffering from missing teeth?

Please get in touch with us at Life Dental Implants and we will help you restore your healthy, confident smiles.

Introduction to Dental Implants