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One of the most popular ways of replacing missing teeth currently is a dental implant. Patients seem to favour dental implants over other dental substitutions such as dental bridges and partial dentures as they provide a grater degree of realism and stability.
A dental implant is the small screw that your London dentist places directly into the jawbone. Because the implant goes directly into the bone it is important that you have strong bones in order for the procedure to be successful. If the bone is insufficiently strong, there may be a chance to have a graft of bone from another area to make it possible for the jaw to accept the implant.
Once the implant is positioned in the jaw it will take a few weeks for it to fuse with the other tissue to become absolutely solid and prepared for the next stage of the treatment. This involves attaching a post to the implant to act as a base for a dental crown, usually made of porcelain and chosen specially to look natural in terms of size and colour.
The dental implant is the only form of dental restoration to replace the whole of the tooth in this way. It is this aspect that gives the implant the advantage and allows the patient to eat and drink every thing they want, something that is not always possible with other replacements.
One of the other major benefits of the dental implant is the fact that it lasts a lifetime. Dental bridges and dentures often have a lifespan of between ten and twenty years before they will need replacing. Once a dental implant is in place you are free to treat it as a normal tooth and carry on with your life.