The Best Alternative to Dentures

Implant options in Sutton Coldfield

There is little doubt that dentures have done a great deal to improve the way that we look over the years. There is little worse than a toothless grin to put someone off a person when they initially meet. Sometimes, not a lot can be done about losing a tooth or two; whilst we can do all that we can to keep our teeth in good condition by following a good dental health regime, there can be other causes of tooth loss which are outside of our control. The most obvious of these is an accident, often sporting. These come very quickly and usually with a big surprise. Other causes include side effects of prolonged medication which we may have to take to keep us alive and therefore losing a tooth or two is a preferable alternative!

For many years, and in fact centuries, dentures have been the ‘go to’ option to replace these missing teeth, and to a large degree have done their job well to the point where several people still choose them over what is considered to be the much better option, dental implants. A lot of people are still unaware of what dental implants are and if they knew, it is highly likely that even more people might visit our dentist in Sutton Coldfield to have them placed. In a nutshell then, dental implants are actually the small titanium screw which is screwed into the jawbone. This is a precise procedure and whilst it may sound a little brutal, the dentist has to undertake many years of training to perform this carefully and as pain-free as possible. We can also assure you that only top quality dental implants are used to ensure the best results.

The implants are then left in the jaw for a few months during which time the bone will grow around the implant holding it very firmly in place. Once this process (called osseointegration) has occurred, an abutment is attached to the implant and a crown placed on top. Once this has been done, your new replacement tooth will look and feel almost exactly like a natural tooth and will have an equivalent or even superior strength which will allow you to eat whatever food you wish.

The procedure is done using a local anaesthetic and if a single implant is being placed should take less than an hour and sometimes half of that.

So why not dentures you may ask; what is wrong with them? Well, different people have different opinions but the fact is that they can be quite difficult to keep securely in place (unless secured by implants in a procedure called stabilisation). This causes them to move around in the mouth which, whilst being socially awkward, also often causes redness and soreness of the gums. The nature of dentures also means that because no part of them is placed into the bone, unlike implants, the bone will actually shrink causing the dentures to become loose over time.

So, whilst dentures still have a role to play and some people still prefer to have them, dental implants can be placed by our Sutton Coldfield implant dentist and offer the strongest and best option to replace lost teeth in our opinion.