If a patient comes to us at Northlight Dental in Milton Keynes having lost a single tooth, multiple teeth or all of their teeth, dental implants can provide a stable foundation for our patient to build a brand new smile.
In Milton Keynes, dental implants can support a variety of appliances that serve to replace missing teeth. The most common use for a dental implant is to replace a single tooth. Replacing a single lost tooth can help preserve more of a patient’s natural teeth, which is the aim of modern dentistry.
Why is tooth replacement so urgent?
When a person loses a single tooth, the rest of the natural teeth can be put at risk. This is because the human jawbone needs stimulation to remain intact and stay in shape. When a tooth is lost, the stimulation stops and the bone begins to shrink and change shape.
This shrinking movement can cause the surrounding teeth to move into the gap that was left behind by the missing tooth, causing problems with the patient’s bite. In the dental world, having a ‘good bite’ means that the teeth meet evenly in the middle when a patient bites down.
It’s important to have a good bite because it means that much less stress is being put on individual teeth. It also reduces the stress put on the jaw and facial muscles. When the teeth meet well in the middle, the patient avoids abnormal tooth wear, jaw pain, headaches and tooth fractures and other damage.
How dental implant procedure works
In Milton Keynes, dental implants are fitted after a minor surgical procedure. A small hole is created in the patient’s jaw, making room for a titanium screw to be inserted. The natural healing process allows the bone to heal around the screw and integrate with it.
Because this treatment works with the natural healing process, it creates a stable and durable solution to tooth loss. Once the treatment is complete and the patient has allowed for healing time, they almost can’t tell which tooth is real and which is a crown, supported by a dental implant.
