March 15, 2017
Missing Teeth? Let Your Dentist In Oxford Help
Dental Design
Being able to talk and smile with confidence is something many of us take for granted, until one day we wake up facing tooth loss. Our smile is an important part of our personality, and losing even a single tooth can be a significant blow to self-esteem and to self-confidence. The good news is, your dentist in Oxford can help you and often dental implants will be a good, long-term option for tooth loss.
Whether you lost teeth years ago, or are fed up with ill-fitting dentures or a failing bridge, or you know you are about to lose one or more teeth, dental implants could be the solution you have been searching for. When properly planned, and placed, dental implants can benefit your general sense of well-being and will have a positive impact on your dental and overall health. Once treatment is completed, you can look forward to enjoying teeth that look and feel natural and which should be so comfortable you forget they are not your own.
Imagine, in just a short while, your ability to smile with confidence and to eat just about anything you like will be fully restored. What is even better, is that with the proper long-term dental care, you should be appreciating the results of your treatment for many years to come and some people will have their dental implants for life.
CHOOSING A TREATMENT THAT WILL BENEFIT YOUR DENTAL HEALTH
Losing even a single tooth is bad news for your dental health. An empty space allows the adjacent teeth to begin to drift out of position, affecting their stability and this can cause changes with the way your teeth occlude or bite together. This is why it is so important to replace any missing teeth as soon as you can. If you are thinking about dental implant treatment, it is always preferable to have your implants fitted sooner rather than later, because of the way tooth loss affects your jawbone.
How Tooth Loss Impacts Your Jawbone
Normally, when you bite or chew, the sensations are transmitted through the crown of your tooth, down through the tooth root and into the surrounding bone. These sensations signal to your body that it should continue renewing the bone cells around your tooth root as they gradually die off.
When you lose a tooth, your dentist will extract the entire tooth including the root. With more traditional types of tooth replacement such as a dental bridge or a denture, the replacement tooth merely rests on the gums and without the sensation provided by a natural tooth root, your jawbone will gradually reabsorb.
This destabilises the teeth adjacent to the gap and in the case of multiple tooth loss can lead to changes in your facial shape. The ridge that used to support your teeth will gradually become flatter and narrower resulting in a loss of support for your facial muscles and a loss of height between your upper and lower jaws. This is one reason why people who have lost all of their teeth will often look as if their face has collapsed inwards.
How Dental Implants Protect Against Jawbone Loss
Dental implants closely mimic a natural tooth root and once inserted into the jawbone will provide the stimulation required to prevent bone loss.
When old bone cells die off, your body will know they need to be replaced. Additionally, your dental implant teeth will be carefully shaped to provide the proper support for the muscles in your cheeks and lips and will be designed to ensure the dimensions between your upper and lower jaws are fully maintained. This will help to prevent that collapsed in look that can be so prematurely ageing.
Protecting Your Natural Teeth
The fact that dental implants help to preserve your jawbone will have a protective effect on your natural teeth. Additionally, there is no need for your dentist in Oxford to make any changes to your natural teeth when fitting dental implants.
Unlike dental bridges where it’s necessary to cut down the adjacent teeth to support the bridge, no such tooth modifications are necessary with dental implant treatment. Instead, dental implants are self-supporting, resulting in only beneficial effects for your dental health.
Restoring Your Smile in the Most Natural Way Possible
Dental implants are definitely the next best thing to having your own teeth, restoring them in a way that will look and feel completely natural. The final effect should be aesthetically pleasing, providing you with a long-term solution for tooth loss.
If you are ready to take the first step towards restoring your smile, please contact us for your initial consultation, or call us on 01865 256007.
Most of our dentists are GDC registered specialists and will carefully assess your suitability for this treatment. We are very experienced in helping nervous patients and you can rest assured that your wellbeing is our priority as you start your patient journey with us.
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