Seven Common Myths About Dental Implants

Stubborn myths about dental implants that persist but should be dismissed.

There was a time when, if you asked almost anyone, dentures were the only option available to replace any teeth that had been lost. This, despite the fact that dental implants have been in use since the 1960’s although not so widely initially. More recently, dental implants have become much more well known and many of our Acton patients choose them over dentures due to the many benefits that they offer.

There are still some misunderstandings though which might be deterring others from even considering them. Let us take a look at some of the more common ones now and hopefully help to dismiss them.

Having a dental implant is very painful

Being realistic, having dental implants placed is not as straightforward as, say, having a small filling, but it is nowhere near as bad as people often expect. Perhaps it is the thought of the dentist drilling into the jawbone in order to place the implant that frightens people. The reality is though, that with modern dental equipment and powerful local anaesthetics, you should feel no more discomfort than you might expect from some other invasive treatments. It is also a one off treatment which provides a replacement tooth that can last for twenty years or longer if you look after it as directed.

Only old people have them

Not true. While older people can certainly benefit from them as it enables them to eat a more varied diet, teeth can fall out at any age, whether through neglect or even accidents. Providing that the patient’s jaw is fully developed, usually around the age of eighteen or so, most patients are suitable candidates to have a dental implant placement procedure.

They can only replace individual teeth

Again, not true. Some people believe that if, for example, they have lost a full arch of teeth, replacing them with dental implants would mean replacing each missing tooth with a single implant one at a time. In fact, there is a popular implant treatment for this called an ‘all on 4’ or ‘teeth in a day. This uses just four (or sometimes six) implants that are strategically placed into the arch and a fixed bridge of replacement teeth is then attached, holding them securely in place. A similar method can also be used to stabilise a patient’s dentures if they already have them.

They are too expensive

While dental implants may not be as cheap as dentures initially, they not only provide a stronger solution, but usually require no further intervention by the dentist once established in the mouth. Dentures, on the other hand, can need adding to, adjusting, repairing or even replacing and this can all add to the total cost. There are also a range of payment plans available at the Acton Vale Dental Centre to help you spread your payments.

The failure rate is high and therefore risky

This is untrue. In fact the success rate of dental implant placement is very high. The main reason for any failures is usually where the patient doesn’t look after them, perhaps by not cleaning them properly (see next section) or by ignoring advice and continuing to smoke. This is likely to degrade the bone the implant is placed into and cause it to become loose or come out.  Another potential reason for failure is where people have opted to have cheaper implants abroad. This can be risky as regulations and experience may not be as high as in the UK and cheaper implants that don’t work as well may be used. Using a UK registered dentist is a much safer bet.

Cleaning is difficult

This could not be further from the truth. Apart from a short period while the implant is integrating with the bone (osseointegration), cleaning your teeth implants should be done exactly as you do your natural teeth with good quality brushing, flossing and regular dental visits to monitor your oral health. Compare this with having to remove dentures to clean and soak them overnight and dental implants are, hands down, an easy winner.

Not everyone can have them

Yes, and no. It is possible that some people would not be able to have dental implants for medical reasons, and of course, children can’t have them as their mouths are not yet developed fully. Why some people may think this could be down to the fact that some people have lost too much bone and there is not enough to place the implant into. This is certainly a factor, but many of these will be able to have either a bone graft or a sinus lift prior to the implant procedure to counteract this problem. This issue will be examined and discussed during your initial consultation so that an informed decision can be made between the patient and our Acton implant dentist.

As you can see, the vast majority of patients can have implants without the concerns that many of these myths raise. We are always happy to talk potential patients through the procedure if this concerns them and answer any questions that they may have. The best way to do this is through booking an initial consultation with us by calling the Acton Vale Dental Centre today on 0204 8749 3267.