Dental Implants are a complex way of getting new teeth, albeit they are false teeth. Unlike dentures which sit on a plate and are removable, the dental implant is a permanent fixture says a South East London dentist. They were fitted successfully to a patient in a Swedish University where the technique was developed over a 10 year period. It starts off with a series of digital pictures taken by the dentist; these are used to custom make the false teeth that will be eventually be fitted permanently to the jaw bone. An incision is made under local anaesthetic and a Titanium plate is slid under the gum, this is then screwed down and the incision is stitched up. This is left for 3-6 months so the bone can grow over the plate; this stops the mouth rejecting it and makes the plate part of the jaw. The gum is cut again to expose the surface of the plate which has a hole or holes already drilled and screwed in it. The dentist will now fit abutments which are titanium poles; these are screwed in and glued. The incision is stitched back up and allowed to heal. Once the stitches have dissolves the patient is ready to receive the false teeth at last, these are slid on the abutments and cemented in place. They can be used immediately and very soon the patient will forget they even have them in. They need no special care either, you just clean your teeth as normal.

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.