Do you avoid smiling in photographs due to missing teeth? Is it harder to eat your favourite foods because of prominent gaps?

Regardless of your age, missing teeth can be more than a simple aesthetic issue; many people with gaps in their smile avoid social situations more often, alongside feeling embarrassed about smiling or laughing. While in the past, the gold standard of restorative procedures was either dentures or fitted bridges, today, there are more options available.

If you want a more permanent, secure alternative to bridges or dentures, come along to Bromley Dental Practice!

Our team is proud to offer a myriad of restorative procedures to our patients who have lost teeth, with our most popular solution being dental implants in Bromley. Fitted securely to your jaw, these prosthetic teeth do not move, do not cause rubbing and feel just like natural teeth! Perfect.

But, what are the different types of dental implants in Bromley and how does our team choose the right one for you? Read on to find out.

Single implants

The perfect solution if you’re missing a single tooth, typical dental implants in Bromley comprise of one implant being fitted into your jaw, with one prosthetic tooth attached when the implant is secured.

Depending on the overall condition of your jaw and gums, our team may be able to attach the prosthetic tooth once they have fitted the implant, but typically, there is a waiting period of around 6 months, to allow your jaw to grow around the implant, holding it firmly in place.

The prosthesis will be colour, size, and shape matched to the other teeth in your mouth and will look completely natural.

Multiple implants

If you have lost multiple teeth in a row due to injury or illness, then multiple implants are the answer for you!

Using computer technology to predict the best place for the implants, our team will be able to fill even large gaps in your smile using a single or two implants. Fitted to your jaw with a prosthetic bridge or denture, this option looks natural and will once again, be colour, size, and shape matched to the rest of your natural teeth.

Once your jaw has grown to accommodate your implants, your multiple prosthetic teeth will feel like natural teeth, allowing you to bite into your favourite foods without issue.

Fixed dentures

Have you lost all of your teeth due to illness or age? Are you currently wearing a set of dentures but are fed up with them rubbing against your gums? If so, fixed or overdentures are the answer!

Our team will usually place 4 implants into your upper and lower jaw, to ensure that your dentures stay in place securely. Once fitted to your jaw, we will attach the dentures, or prosthetics to your implants and voila! A new set of teeth that can bite, chew and allow you to laugh, without fear of them falling out or moving!

Call our team at Bromley Dental Practice today for more information.

While it may seem obvious, when you look good – you feel good.

In modern-day society, with images of flawless celebrities and other famous people being constantly imposed into our lives, it can feel difficult to be positive about how we look.

However, this can be made worse if you are an adult who, through either illness, neglect or injury, has gaps in your smile.

It can be difficult to feel confident when your smile shows off any flaws in your teeth, but when you have spaces in between teeth, it is practically impossible. While you could approach your dentist about having dentures or bridges fitted to boost your confidence, this can often cause issues with correct fitting and may even lead to painful rubbing against your gums.

Not to worry, there is an answer! At Bromley Dental Practice, we can offer you a more permanent solution to those gaps in your smile, without looking fake, and without the worry of movement. Dental implants in Bromley are a fantastic way to boost your confidence and improve your smile, and will not cause painful sores on your gums. Brilliant!

But what are some of the other advantages to dental implants in Bromley? Read on to find out.

Improved speech

Gaps in your smile causes numerous issues that go far beyond aesthetic appearances.

One of the key advantages of having dental implants in Bromley is improved speech. As your teeth are responsible for holding your tongue in place, losing them can cause problems with pronunciation and inflection.

Having an immovable set of teeth attached to your jaw will restore your speech to its former glory, allowing you to laugh and sing without mispronunciation or lisp.

Stronger bite

A major disadvantage of dentures is that, no matter how strong your dental adhesive is, there is often some strength lacking in your bite.

Implants not only bite like natural teeth but actually feel like natural teeth too, allowing you to accurately judge how much force is needed to bite into food. Brilliant!

Better digestion

When there are gaps in your teeth, you are more likely to swallow large pieces of food. While this may not seem like an issue, it can lead to digestive issues such as excess stomach acid, indigestion, and heartburn. Yikes!

Implants will provide you with the correct support to break down your food into smaller chunks, alleviating any gastrointestinal issues.

 Long-lasting

One of the best things about oral implants is their longevity.

With correct oral hygiene, regular dental check-ups and healthy lifestyle choices, your new oral implants can last upwards of forty years! Now that’s a worthwhile investment in your smile!

Easy aftercare

Another appeal of implants is the simple after-care.

No need to purchase expensive adhesives or invest in 3 different types of toothbrushes; just brush, floss and rinse like you normally would and your implants should last you a long time. Also, make sure that you attend your check-ups with our team at Bromley Dental Practice bi-annually.

You can never keep your teeth perfectly safe, at some point in your life they are going to get cracked, damaged or infected as you get older and they give in to general wear and tear. But worry not, as there are ways for us to help restore that fading smile, our team may recommend implants to help solve your particular tooth-related troubles.

Here’s some extra information on what our dental implants in Bromley involve and how the process could benefit you.

What are they?

Patients coming for dental implants in Bromley will be undergoing a procedure involving the insertion of a prosthetic tooth with root, beneath their gum line and into the jawbone. The tooth is made from a sturdy ceramic material and this is held in place by a small titanium screw that becomes integrated with the jawbone as a surrogate tooth root.

The screw is sterilised to ensure the spread of bacteria during the procedure is kept to a minimum and over time the bone of the jaw should start to heal back over the screw, to provide a strong supporting base for your mouth’s new denizen.

When we would recommend implants

The decision of choosing dental implants as a treatment option for patients is not made lightly, as it is a surgical procedure. Generally our team may recommend you for this if you have any badly broken or cracked teeth or if there are gaps in your gum line from previous tooth loss.

We may also put forward this option if there is an infected tooth that is either beyond saving, or is putting the health of your gums and surrounding teeth at risk.

Is the treatment going to be uncomfortable?

One question that regularly crops up from patients is whether the treatment they are going to go through will feature any pain or discomfort. As mentioned previously, this treatment does involve some surgery and although minor it can be a little uncomfortable. But don’t worry, your dentist will normally use a local anaesthetic to numb the area first, to try and limit the amount of discomfort you may feel. At Bromley Dental Practice our talented team will fit your new tooth quickly and with as little discomfort as possible.

Keeping your implant clean

Once your new tooth is popped in your main priority going forward should be to keep it clean and free from infection while it heals. If regular care guidelines are not followed the gums around the implant can become inflamed and harmful bacteria may then spread to the surrounding tissue and teeth.

To avoid any problems with your prosthetic we recommend that you give it a light cleaning at least once or twice a day, depending on how uncomfortable your gums are after the surgery. Dental floss is still acceptable, just be careful how hard you pull on it around the new tooth, but avoid mouthwash for a few days after the procedure, as the chemicals can sometimes irritate the gums and cause issues with the healing process.

These are just a few of our interesting facts about the implant service that our practice provides. If you would like to learn more about this treatment or to schedule an appointment to smarten up that smile, then just get in touch with our team.

Your teeth form part of who you are, so it is understandable if you feel as though part of your identity is lost when your teeth fall out.

Thanks to modern dentistry, you do not have to continue feeling embarrassed by missing teeth for the rest of your life. Save your smile with dentures, bridges and now dental implants in Bromley.

When asked by our patients, we like recommending dental implants in Bromley to them, and this article explains why.

Reasons why dental implants in Bromley are a life changing device and how they can help you

If you have lost teeth in the past, you may have restored your smile with dentures. While fine for the most part, these devices can get cumbersome and restrict the food you can eat to avoid damaging them.

In short, you are somewhat limited by what you can and cannot do with dentures.

On the other hand, tooth implants have few drawbacks and multiple benefits.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of an implant?

Implants, uniquely, are embedded into your jaw. We drill a small screw in the area of the missing tooth in a minor surgical procedure.

Over a few months, the bone surrounding the screw grows around it, until it is fully merged into the jaw. This process, referred to as osseointegration, successfully occurs when the metal and bone fuse together.

When this happens, the titanium becomes the artificial tooth root that will hold your future crown in place.

Because the new crown is held firmly in place, you will not have to watch what you eat or stick to a soft food diet for the rest of your life. You can also talk without your device causing you to lisp.

For all its life-altering features, we find that some people can be scared off by the price of implants, hesitant to invest that much in a device.

However, when you consider the benefits of wearing implants, the higher price is vindicated and in the long run, worth it. Unlike other restorative appliances, you will not need to replace it in seven to fifteen years because if looked after correctly, dental implants last.

What else should I know?

You can be missing one or multiple teeth for implants, but you do need enough bone in your jaw in which to embed them.

A consequence of losing teeth and not replacing them immediately, or wearing dentures before implants, is that the bone under the missing tooth resorbs because it is underutilised.

If you want tooth implants despite possessing insufficient bone, you might want to consider bone grafts. While bone graft surgery might delay the procedure by months, you can still restore your desired smile in time.

Your gums should also be reasonably healthy, because if they are not, your implants are less likely to integrate with the surrounding bone, and will fail. We can prevent this from happening by treating infected gums with a professional cleaning to remove harmful bacteria and germs.

No one wants to lose their natural teeth. But, when you get older if it does happen, you can find a restoration solution with us.

If you have lost one or many of your natural teeth, we understand that you might not be feeling complete in yourself. You may have lost a lot of confidence in your smile, as well as your ability to eat certain foods. This can have a devastating effect on your self-esteem and your health.

It is important that you are aware of the negative impacts that missing teeth can have on your physical and psychological self and that by taking action, you are caring for yourself in a proactive and positive way.

The sooner that you act and decide to get dental implants in Bromley, the less impact that your missing teeth will have on your body. You will be able to quickly revert to your original self, enjoying the foods you once ate and laughing again with confidence.

What are the negative impacts of missing teeth?

Once a tooth is lost, other surrounding teeth can begin to shift and twist to compensate for the exposed area of gum. This can lead to further complications with the rest of your teeth and weaken the hold that your roots have within the gum.

The exposed gum tissue is subjected to damage and infection through cuts and pressure caused by sharp and hard foods that can cause injury. This can cause many of our patients to begin avoiding certain foods which can have an overall negative impact on their health.

We all want to have a beautiful and attractive smile and when we have lost a tooth we can begin to feel less about ourselves. By acknowledging these impacts and deciding to make a change by getting dental implants in Bromley, you are taking the first step to a happier and healthier you.

How does it work?

Dental implants in Bromley are essentially replacement tooth roots. Titanium metal rods are surgically inserted into the jawbone to mimic a natural tooth root. This stimulates the jawbone in the right way, allowing it to remain dense and strong. Dentures do not have this effect and this can be the cause of jawbone degradation over time.

Once the site of the surgical procedure has healed, we are able to permanently place a crown or a bridge onto the exposed section of the rod to create a natural looking and feeling tooth replacement.

You are able to use the tooth as you would your natural teeth, restoring your smile to its full functionality again. This permanent procedure when maintained correctly can last our patients for most of their lifetimes.

Aftercare is immensely important, as it is with any kind of dental or medical care. By ensuring that the site of the implant remains clean, you are greatly increasing your chances of success. You need to maintain an appropriate level of oral hygiene and to frequently visit our hygienist who will be able to clean the area with tools that are specifically designed to remove any hard to reach debris.

With a positive mentality and the right approach to oral health, you can enjoy a smile that can last you a lifetime.