Perfect Teeth

Your smile is one of the most viewed parts of your body, so having perfect teeth is important. To do this means you need all of your teeth, you need them to be straight, and you need them to be white. To make this possible you may need to consider a number of possible treatments. To ensure you have teeth in all the right places and that these teeth are complete, you may need to consider dental implants, cost of veneers, cost of Lumineers, or even a dental bridge. If you have all your teeth, then ensuring they are straight with some orthodontic work or braces may make sense. And things such as Zoom whitening, tooth bleaching or even laser teeth whitening to get your teeth white.

Dental Work

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Cost of Dental Implants

Written by Administrator. Posted in Dental Work

Whether you are missing a single tooth or several, getting perfect teeth used to mean having a bulky bridge fitted, or acquiring and wearing a clumsy and removable denture. But now it is possible to achieve an even more realistic dental appearance through dental implants, but what is the cost of dental implants?

A dental implant is a prosthetic (artificial) tooth, complete with an artificial root. This prosthetic tooth is implanted into your jaw and looks and functions exactly as the original tooth it replaces.

This cosmetic dental procedure is performed on your jawbone and gums so it is not quite as straightforward as other cosmetic dental procedures as our dental implant guide below explains...

Condition addressed: Dental implants cost a lot and replace missing teeth, resulting from aging, physical injury, tooth decay or gum disease.

Nature of the benefit: A dental implant is a more permanent and longer-term solution than dentures or a fixed bridge. Dental implants:

  • Don't move in your mouth and they can't fall out.

  • Function like normal teeth, so you have few limitations as to what you can eat.

  • Slow down bone loss, which is not the case with dentures or a fixed bridge where bone loss can make you look older.

  • Do not affect your adjacent teeth.

  • Can be cleaned in the same way you clean your own teeth.

  • Improve the look of the teeth of heavy smokers and/or drinkers

They shouldn't be used by those who:

  • Have periodontal gum disease

  • Are immune-compromised

  • Are night-time teeth grinders

  • Have diabetes or osteoporosis

Type of procedure: Dental implants cost lots as they are fitted under local anesthetic and sometimes sedation. The procedure normally involves more than one session with your dentist. A straightforward single implant will take two one hour sessions. Depending on the technique used, whether you had a tooth extracted first or a bone graft, the process could involve several visits or surgeries over a few months.

Description of the procedure: Your dental surgeon will:

  • Cut and lift your gum

  • Drill a small precision hole (osteomy) in your jawbone

  • Fit the titanium screw (artificial root) into this hole. Your dentist might fit the implant in the same session, but you will usually return three to six months later to have the prosthetic tooth fitted. The time delay gives your jawbone time to fuse with and correctly anchor the titanium screw. In the subsequent session, your dental surgeon will fit the prosthetic tooth to the screw in your jawbone and stitch your gum over the completed implant.

Potential risks or side effects: Complications do not affect most people, but can include:

  • Infection

  • Excessive bleeding

  • Temporary or permanent nerve damage (pain or numbness of the gum, lip or chin) Undesirable reaction to the anaesthesia

  • Failure of the bone to fuse or the mouth to heal, causing the implant to loosen. If you are diabetic, a smoker, heavy drinker, tooth grinder or have a suppressed immune system, healing might be slow, affecting the success of the procedure.

Nature and length of recovery process: You will experience some swelling, bruising, bleeding and pain, but can usually return to work within 24 hours.Nevertheless, it will take between six weeks and nine months for complete integration and healing.

Length of benefit: You can expect dental implants to last between 25-30 years. They can last a lifetime if you care for them correctly.

What can you do to extend benefit: Follow your doctor's post-operative care advice. This will involve using a mouth wash to prevent infection.In addition, do not smoke as research shows that implants are significantly more likely to fail if you do. Maintain good oral hygiene to prevent gum disease and ensure your existing teeth and your implant last as long as possible. This involves brushing, flossing, using mouth washes as well as attending regular dental check-ups.

Alternative or related therapies: Dentures, fixed bridge, crowns and root canal treatment

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