How do they work?
Using the most advanced dental technology, dental implants not only look perfectly natural but they leave you with a secure new tooth, healthily bonded with your own bone tissue.

A dental implant is an exact replica of a natural tooth as it replaces both the crown and root. It is made of porcelain with a metal core. The secret lies in the small titanium body that is inserted as an artificial tooth root into the jaw. Within a few months, the living bone grows around the titanium body forming a permanent secure bond, just like a healthy tooth root. Then a metal post is fixed onto the bonded titanium body and the replacement porcelain tooth, or crown, is attached to the post. The result: a perfectly natural-looking tooth.

Why should I have a dental implant?

Until now, dentures have been the solution to replacing lost teeth but as well as looking unnatural, dentures can often make biting and chewing, let alone kissing, embarrassing and difficult. They can also cause further problems with the gum and jaw bone.

Dental implants are an ideal way to transform your smile as they look and feel just like your own teeth. They are also often stronger than your own teeth and are fixed into your jaw and surrounded by gum, so there is little chance that they will slip or fall out. None of your other teeth are affected and implants actually strengthen the bone and gum tissue into which they're fixed. You can smile, laugh, talk, chew, bite and kiss with confidence.

Dental implants are suitable for anyone aged 18 to 80 depending on the strength and shape of the jawbone.

Apart from using mouthwashes after eating sweet or acid foods, replacement teeth need the same treatment as your own teeth - just a regular flossing and brushing with a non-abrasive toothpaste.

Processes and costs?
Any dentist can place implants but it is recommended that a dentist who has experience and completed a recognised course.

Before carrying out any treatment, the surgeon will take a medical history, give a full assessment and then start the implant work. This involves making models of your upper and lower jaw before the titanium body is implanted. The dental surgeon will also make a temporary denture for you to wear while your gum and bone heal. The titanium body is then inserted, under a local anaesthetic, into the jaw. The gum may be a little bruised and swollen after surgery but it is usually fine within a few days.

Once the implant has bonded naturally with your bone, the dentist will make a final model of your jaws. An exact size and colour match with the surrounding teeth is then made so that the replacement tooth looks completely natural and fits perfectly with your own teeth.

Costs start at £1500 per implant.

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