What are the benefits of dental implant treatment?

Missing or failing teeth can negatively impact your confidence and your daily life, including what you can eat. Implants are a popular, long-term solution that can restore your smile.

• Natural-looking solution: Dental implants are titanium posts that are fixed into the jawbone. The bone gradually fuses to the implant, making it strong and secure so it can function like a natural tooth.

• Implants are topped with a crown (false tooth) that’s matched to the shade, shape and size of your remaining teeth, making it feel comfortable and look natural.

• Fixed and long-lasting: Implants are a fixed, long-term solution that can last 10 years or more, as long as they’re cared for properly. As implants are a fixed solution, you don’t need to worry about removing them to eat or sleep, and there’s no risk of them falling out.

• Prevents bone loss: When you lose a tooth, the jawbone beneath it shrinks as it’s no longer stimulated by the tooth root. Over time, this can change the shape of your face, causing you to look older than you really are. Dental implants stimulate the jaw, just like natural teeth, preventing further bone loss.

• Enjoy your favourite foods: If you have missing teeth, you may struggle to eat chewy or hard foods, such as apples, crunchy vegetables, and some meats. Dental implants restore your bite and allow you to chew properly, so you can enjoy more of your favourite foods.

• No need to prepare healthy teeth: Unlike some treatments to replace missing teeth, dental implants don’t require preparing any of your neighbouring, healthy teeth.

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When are dental implants not recommended?

• You have had radiotherapy in or around your jaw

• You have diabetes that isn’t well controlled

• You smoke (including e-cigarettes) or chew tobacco

• You drink heavily

• You take recreational drugs

• You have active gum disease

Implants and gum disease

Your mouth needs to be in a healthy condition before you can have implants. If you have activer gum disease you won’t be able to have dental implants. Gum disease creates an environment that increases the risk of infection around dental implants. This can lead to the failure and even loss of the implant.

Gum disease can be managed using regular hygiene treatment, antibiotics or surgery, depending on how severe it is. Once your gum disease is under control, you might be able to have implants. Your dentist will give you a clear treatment plan when you visit them for your consultation.

Implants and smoking

If you smoke, your dentist will recommend that you give up before you have your implant fitted.

It’s possible to have dental implants if you smoke, but the procedure can be more complicated and is more likely to fail. This is because smoking causes a number of adverse effects on your oral health, including a dry mouth (where the bacteria that cause gum disease can grow) and reduced blood flow, which slows the healing process and the integration of the implant into your jawbone.

The first few weeks after implant surgery are when this integration process starts and the bone begins to fuse with your implant. Smoking during this time can significantly increase the chance of infection. Smoking after this period can lead to bone deterioration around your implants, causing them to fail.

How will I know if I’m suitable for implants?

The first step to deciding whether implants are right for you is to see your dentist for an initial consultation.

During your consultation, your dentist will go through your medical history in detail. You’ll have a clinical assessment where your dentist will explain whether implants are an option for you. They’ll also talk you through other solutions that might be right for you.

If you’re able to have implants, your dentist will talk you through the best type of implants for you; and tell you if you need any other treatment before the procedure, such as hygiene treatment, bone grafting or sinus lifts.