More and more people in south east London, are discovering the benefits that implants offer, as they give the patient a renewed freedom after tooth loss, unlike dentures. It’s also become more refined, what with laser treatments, and healing times have dropped too compared to what they were. A laser does far less damage to the gum tissue and allows the titanium root to be placed with precise accuracy and very quickly, and once they are in, they’re pretty much there for life. They are also more resistant to disease, unlike the natural root of the mouth. And once the implant has healed, the new, strong and beautifully clean teeth are simply attached onto them, leaving you with a brand new look- as if you never lost your teeth in the first place. They have also offered a lifeline for denture wearers who can simply click the false teeth onto the implants to keep them secure in the mouth. All this refinement in implant technology has made it an easy procedure for dentists to carry out, hence it’s become a lot more widespread and available too; meaning there has been a dramatic tumble in the cost of having it done- making it affordable for everyone. Some dentists will also having payment plans in place so that you can spread the cost over a period of time. There simply is no better time to consider getting yourself an implant and they will set you free!

Anyone that wears dentures in London’s SE1 will tell you that one of the biggest problems with them is keeping them in the mouth. Sure, dentures have come an awful long way- the materials from which they are made, the fixatives that are used, all have radically improved, yet, the wearer is still left with that nagging doubt that they may still fall out when eating or talking. But now thanks to the introduction of mini-implants, that embarrassment has all but disappeared. Thanks to micro surgery that leaves very little damage to the gums, these tiny, little bits of titanium can be fitted into the jaw bone in 2 hours. The dentures will be modified and then they simply click onto the implants; combined with a fixative, those dentures are going nowhere. Imagine the benefits when ordering certain types of food at a restaurant. But mini-implants are also favoured a lot more for the fitting of bridges and crowns, for the same reasons as have already mentioned, they offer great back-up support to normal fixing procedures, lengthening the shelf life of the fitting overall. Because implant technology and healing methods have improved dramatically over recent years, they are easier to fit and with that, competitively, the price of having a mini-implants fitted have dropped substantially of late. But then cost should never factor in the improvement of lifestyle that a mini-implant can bring.

Denture technology has come a long way in London SE1 over the years, and it’s a good job too, as they often reminded the wearer that they are now one step closer to the grave. They were often cheaply made and ill-fitting, that made eating, chewing and even talking, a nightmare. Now however, dentures a made from materials that look more natural as they are worn. Materials have become softer, making the dentures adhere to the gums more closely- even the teeth can be made from more ‘teeth-like’ looking materials, such as porcelain, that give a more natural allure to the mouth. In the past, a dentist would prefer to pull all of the teeth and fix dentures, even when some of the teeth were perfectly healthy. Now thanks to techniques such as CuSil, dentures can be fitted around the teeth that remain, giving a better chance of keeping the dentures in the mouth. Keeping the teeth in the mouth has always been a problem for denture wearers, especially when dining out. Such have been the improvement of fixatives, this problem has become a thing of the past- combine this by having mini implants placed in the mouth, that dentures can lock onto, and your dentures are going no where. Of course, vanity wise, dentures retain the shape of the face and maintain the ‘bite’ between the jaws, keeping you looking pretty and your teeth, healthy.

The thought of having a hole drilled through the gum and into the jaw bone so that a titanium screw can be attached to house a new tooth sounds like a horror film shot in a backstreet dentists in south-east London. But in fact, having an implant fitted is just that, though these days, it’s a lot less painless than it sounds, thanks to great advances in implant computer technology, keyhole surgery and modern healing methods. Getting an implant is a means to replacing a lost tooth or teeth with comparable looks and strength to that of the original and a more natural preference to having dentures or bridges. The whole process used to take up to a year to complete, but now, the procedure can be over in a little as 4 months and it’s getting shorter thanks to revolutionary techniques being developed every year. (In the case of having mini implants to support dentures, the treatment is over in a day!). It is still one of the more expensive alternatives to teeth replacement, but prices have fallen dramatically over the past ten years. It’s a matter of personal choice at the end of the day- a single implant can cost as little as £950. That can equate to around £10000 for a whole new mouth. However, break that down with a pre-arranged payment plan and it can make the treatment accessible to everyone over time. It may sound extravagant on paper but you can sleep at night, pretty and content without leaving you teeth in a glass.

Dentures have been around since prehistoric times, and man has been obsessed with them to the extent they have come up with many weird and wonderful ways to make them, says an SE1 London dentist. The Egyptians made them from sea shells and loved the colours they came in, there have also been flint, metal, plastic and even wooden dentures. At one time we used the teeth of animals to make them. Their development has been a long time in the making, and up until recently the problem of food getting lodged under them was still a big problem. These days the new style adhesives make the plate so totally sealed and hygienic that it is impossible for any foreign objects to get behind them, which has been well received by everyone who wears them. They are made out of porcelain these days which is a hard wearing clay mix that is so workable it makes the teeth look really natural. Some people can`t get on with dentures and go for a bridge or implants, but most patients are happy with their dentures. They are made to a custom design using digital photos of the patient’s mouth, that’s why there has been a big increase in their use of late. To keep them clean and germ free they are usually just dropped into a solution of sterilising fluid over night, you don`t clean them in the usual manner with a brush. Many wearers have more than one set, and some even change them on a regular basis for socialising, they are now a fashion item to many people.

A Dental Bridge is a false tooth, it could best be described as a permanently fixed denture, says a South East London dentist. The bridge is exactly what it says it is. When a tooth is lost it leaves a gap, and this is generally filled with a false tooth to keep eating habits and the smile in pristine condition. The bridge consists of three or more teeth, all of which are usually made from Porcelain and joined together. The teeth on the edges are also hollow as they will fit over the good teeth either side of the gap. These are called anchors and hold the bridge tooth in position like a suspension bridge. The dentist will first take digital photos and send them to the dental technician for the bridge to be made, in fitting the bridge they will need to grind down the edge teeth to the same dimensions as the inside of the anchor teeth. The bridge is fitted and cemented in, then polished to blend the join in. The teeth can be used almost immediately and within a few weeks many patients forget they even have a false tooth. The fixture is permanent, but a damaged bridge is easily replaced, they also need no special looking after, as a denture does. You simply clean and floss them as usual. They will get a polish and the usual clean up to remove tartar when you visit your dentist for the six monthly check up. The practice dental hygiene nurse will give you more advice on caring for a bridge.

When a tooth is lost early it is a bit of a blow to us and can leave us feeling down in the mouth, says a South east London dentist. We want to fill the gap left as soon as possible and almost every time we will be offered dentures, the problem is that not many people get along with dentures and they look at alternative methods of a false tooth. A popular method is a Dental Implant which was devised through extensive research in the 1950s; an implant is a false tooth that sits permanently in position anchored to the jaw bone just like a real tooth. A plate is inserted under the gum and screwed down to the jaw bone; the Titanium plate then becomes part of the jaw as the bone fuses with it over a period of a few months. The plate is pre-drilled with holes that are a screw has been cut into, and after the plate fuses the gum incision is reopened and stems of Titanium are then screwed into the holes. When the incision has healed the dentist will call the patient back and place the false Porcelain teeth onto the stems to complete the procedure. The patient now has a new tooth in the gap that needs no special care, unlike a denture that needs fixing and sterilising every day. It is a long procedure, but it is a one off and a `forget about it` one too. Once in the patient soon forgets they even have one.

Dental Implants aren`t that complicated, although they do take a good few months to have them fitted as the process involves a lot of work and waiting. A South east London dentist says that many people who cannot get on with dentures, find that the time and investment in dental Implants is well worth it in the end though. They were developed in the 1950s in British and Swedish universities, but it wasn’t until the early 60s that the first successful operation was carried out in Sweden. It involves inserting a Titanium plate under the gums and then screwing it down to the jaw bone. That part is usually done under a local anaesthetic; it is the next part that takes the time. The idea behind Dental Implants is that the new tooth, albeit a porcelain one, integrates with the bone of the jaw and the whole thing becomes part of the jaw. What happens is that the body produces new bone that covers the plate over a period of 3-6 months. Once that is done, posts are screwed into pre drilled holes in the plate, and then the new tooth is slide over the post to complete the procedure. What the patient ends up with is a new tooth that won`t become infected inside; will be hard wearing and a permanent part of the mouth. You can use it like a normal tooth and you care for it in the same way as your natural teeth. 6 monthly check ups will keep tartar away and if the tooth gets damaged it can be easily replaced in a few weeks.

Loosing some or all of your teeth can have a massive negative impact on your self-confidence and also have a hugely detrimental effect on your quality of life. It is also possible that missing teeth can cause the facial muscles to sag making you look much older than you really are. The solution to all the problems associated with multiple tooth loss is dentures.

They might not sound all that appealing but dentures have long been used and are the tried and tested way of replacing missing teeth. Denture technology has also come a long way making today’s dentures a much more appealing option. Tooth loss can happen for a number of reasons and it is important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible to prevent complications leading to further loss. Dentures or partial dentures are often the best artificial alternative to replace real teeth.

A well-fitting denture will not be loose and will greatly improve the quality of life of the patient. Some patients have loose dentures because of increased gum erosion and resort to dental adhesives for extra security. This can be messy and prohibits eating certain foods. For patients who are still anxious about the embarrassment of loose dentures there is now the possibility of mini-implants fitted to the jawbone to secure the dentures.

In the hands of a skilled South East London dentist, the results capable with dentures are stunning. Not only can they completely restore the smile and confidence of a patient but they can also restore their much-needed quality of life and make them look years younger.