For those who have suffered from the pain and indignity of tooth loss, there are a number of options available to replace those teeth. Your dentist will probably talk you through each of them and advise you about the pros and cons. One procedure that people often have plenty of questions about is dental implants, an option that is growing in popularity because of its permanence as a solution.

Dental implants have gained this reputation for permanence and stability because they utilise the ability of light weight and strong titanium to fuse with bone, clinicians call this ‘osseointegration’. Essentially then the implant which houses the replacement tooth becomes part of your mouth and you won’t even have to think about the fact that one of your teeth is not natural. It can be treated just like a regular tooth and will look like one too, thanks to the adaptability of modern pontics.

The process of installing a dental implant is not as straightforward as some would like, however, although techniques are improving all the time. For an implant to be placed with precision against the jaw bone so that it can adequately fuse with it there needs to be surgery which is usually undertaken with the aid of local anaesthetic. Like all surgery this is not an especially quick process and you will need to take a significant period of time out of your day.

At least one repeat visit to the surgery will be required too because after the initial surgery, a temporary replacement tooth is put in place so that the area can heal before the permanent replacement is placed. Dental implants are not a cheap option but they will last for many years and the financial burden is being eased by many London dentists offering interest free repayment plans.

Wisdom tooth pain can be one of the most unpleasant experiences of your life, just ask anyone who has suffered from it. In fact, instead of blessing us with wisdom, they can actually be the cause of a pretty nasty headache and cause for concern. The pain of wisdom teeth can last for anything between ten and fifteen days and is often associated with severe pain on the inner cheek, swelling and nasty pain in the gums, inability to sleep due to pain and pain while eating or chewing.

The pain is often caused because there is not enough room for the teeth to develop. This means that when they come through they are forced to rotate and impact against the other teeth and even the jawbone. This can be very painful and in some cases they may even need to be removed. But what can you do at home to relieve the pain of wisdom teeth?

Placing ice inside a handkerchief or tissue and applying it to the required area may give you some relief, as will rinsing your mouth with saltwater. There are also a number of dental creams on the market that can be used to alleviate some of the pain. If these treatments do not work, and if the pain is really bad even before trying them, it is necessary to make an appointment with a Central London dentist. They will be able to carry out a full examination of the teeth and see exactly what is causing the problem. They will also be able to recommend you for a wisdom tooth extraction if they believe that to be necessary.

Over the last few years, dental implants have replaced dental bridges and partial dentures as the dental replacement of choice. This is because unlike all the other dental substitutes, a dental implant replaces the whole tooth from root to crown. This gives the patient a more realistic feeling and also provides an added degree of security that can be missing from other dental replacements.

The dental implant itself is a small titanium screw that is anchored directly into the jawbone to act as a base for an artificial tooth. Once drilled into the bone the implant needs to be left for several weeks or even months in order to fuse with the bone and gum tissue. This process is called osseointergration and is crucial to the success of the treatment. For osseointergration to be completely successful, the patient needs to have a sufficiently strong jawbone and gum tissue. This can mean that some patients are not suitable for the treatment especially if they have very bad gum tissue or the missing tooth is the result of a physical trauma which also damaged the tooth socket and jawbone.

In cases where trauma has damaged the jaw it is possible to undergo a bone and tissue graft in order to restore the structure before fitting the implant. This will add a considerable time to the length of treatment however but ultimately the results will be worth it. Dental implants can last a lifetime if you are a suitable candidate and remove the anxiety that can occur when using other dental substitutes. Make an appointment with a London dentist to see if you are suitable for a dental implant.