Dental implants are an increasingly popular way for patients to replace missing teeth. At The Park Dental Clinic in Derby, we offer several dental implant solutions for patients who have lost teeth – including, in some cases, the option to have your implants and new teeth fitted in one session, in a procedure known as “Same Day Teeth”.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are small titanium screws that your dentist places directly in your jaw bone, using a minor surgical procedure. Once in place, the implants integrate with your jaw bone and provide a firm base on to which new teeth – crowns, dentures or bridges – can be attached. Essentially, they are replacements for the root portion of a lost tooth and can prevent the common issue of bone loss that occurs frequently in patients who have lost their natural teeth.
What about Same Day Teeth?
One of the good things about dental implants is that you do not usually need as many implants as teeth. In most cases, one implant can support several new teeth thanks to precise and careful placement by your dentist.
Same Day Teeth involves the placement of four implants to support a full arch (jaw) of teeth. Using the All-on-4 dental implant system developed by Nobel Biocare, your dentist places two implants at the front of the jaw bone, parallel to where you natural teeth were, and two implants at the back, angled to help spread the forces generated by biting and chewing.
Your new teeth are then attached to the implants using special abutments. It really is possible to walk into the dental practice in the morning with missing or failing teeth and walk out later the same day with a brand new set of new teeth.
Same Day Teeth can be used in the majority of implant cases. If your dentist recommends standard dental implants, there is a healing period of about three months before your permanent teeth are attached to them. You may have temporary teeth fitted during this healing period, so you will never be left with gaps in your mouth.