Take Advantage Of Our Complimentary Dental Implant Consultation Offer

Limited appointments available at our Acton dental clinic – don’t delay, call us today.

Dental implants have perhaps been the most significant innovation in dentistry over the past couple of decades or so. While other treatments have been successful and popular, implants have proven to be a ‘game changer’ when it comes to replacing a missing tooth or a number of teeth. Dentures haven’t entirely disappeared of course and they still have a role to play for some people, but most patients who have had dental implants would, we are sure, agree that they offer a stronger and more stable method of replacing missing teeth.

While many people have already had implants placed, others may be less certain and wonder if they would be suitable candidates for them. Because of the complex nature of the treatment, while most patients can have them, this is not always the case. An initial consultation is therefore necessary. It is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the various aspects of the procedure with the implant dentist.

For anyone in the Acton area who may be interested in having dental implants to replace a tooth, or to replace the dentures that have perhaps been a problem at times for them, we are offering limited complimentary initial implant consultations at the Acton Vale Dental Centre.

Why implants?

Some of you reading this blog might be wondering what teeth implants can offer that dentures can’t. After all, dentures now look more natural than ever and are of better quality too. This is true and some people may well decide to stick with their dentures rather than take up the opportunity to have implants, but we firmly believe that people should at the very least have a better understanding of this life-changing treatment.

The key difference between dentures and dental implants is that dentures sit on top of the gums, whereas implants are placed into the jawbone and provide more stability and are unable to move around as dentures are sometimes prone to do. This provides for a better eating and speaking experience and they are also much easier to keep clean than dentures are. Indeed, there is none of the fiddly and ‘out of the mouth’ cleaning that dentures require and you simply clean your implants as you would do your own natural teeth.

What about the procedure…?

It is true that the implant procedure requires an invasive treatment while dentures usually don’t. It also involves placing the implant into the jawbone, something which sometimes causes concern about how painful the procedure might be for some patients. As for all invasive treatments though, a powerful local anaesthetic will be used and no more discomfort should be expected than with most other invasive procedures.

It is likely that there will be some residual discomfort in the area of the procedure for a short time afterwards, but most people find that they can control this successfully with their normal over the counter pain killing medication.

Short term vs long term

There are many things to consider when making the choice between dentures and implants and we can discuss these during your implant consultation. One thing that should definitely be considered though is the longer term advantages of teeth implants.

Some people may opt for dentures due to the usually non invasive nature of them, but then find that they become problematic over the years. Dentures can become loose and unstable in the mouth. This in itself can be embarrassing if they move at inappropriate times, but this movement can also cause discomfort due to them rubbing against the gums, causing soreness and inflammation of the soft tissue.

There is also the fiddly cleaning involved. Dentures have to be removed from the mouth for cleaning and have to be kept in cleaning solution overnight. There is also the not so minor problem of breakages; usually, though not always, caused by dropping them when cleaning. These will need to be repaired and may happen a few times during their lifetime. This cost should be factored in when you are weighing up the pros and cons.

If we look at dental implants, these problems don’t exist. The procedure really isn’t as scary as it might seem and while there is a short period following the procedure where you will need to be careful what you eat while the implant fuses with the bone (osseointegration), once this has passed, you will have a strong and secure replacement tooth.

Your implant will not move around in the mouth, and for all intents and purposes, can be treated as a healthy natural tooth. It also remains in the mouth for cleaning and you simply brush and floss the implant as you would a natural tooth. Care should be taken to clean around the gums as periodontitis (and peri-implantitis) are the most significant threats to an implant.

In summary then, once your implant has successfully fused with the bone, you will be able to just get on with your life, eating, drinking and cleaning your teeth as you would with a healthy tooth while denture wearers are likely to have a lifetime of denture movement and fiddly cleaning of their dentures on a daily basis.

If you found this blog interesting and would like to discover if you are a suitable candidate for dental implants and perhaps also have some questions that you would like to ask before making a decision, now is the time to contact us while there are spaces still available for the complimentary initial implant consultation we are offering. To take advantage of this, we recommend that you call the Acton Vale Dental Centre today on 020 8749 3267 to arrange your consultation with us.