The loss of a tooth doesn’t just affect the appearance of your smile, it also affects the health of your jaw and your remaining teeth.
When you lose a tooth the jawbone that holds the tooth in place starts to atrophy. This happens as soon as the tooth falls out. By replacing the tooth with a dental implant you take care of your jawbone health, your gums and your remaining teeth.
If you don’t replace the tooth the teeth on either side of the gap will start to shift and fill the gap left by the missing tooth. When this happens it can create a crooked bite which leads to headaches, neck pain as well as shoulder pain.
The worst case scenario is that tooth loss can, after a time, cause further tooth loss.
Dental implants from City Smiles
Replacing a missing tooth is as easy as booking an appointment at City Smiles. It takes 3 to 4 appointments to replace a single missing tooth.
The first appointment is the consultation. During this appointment we will assess your oral health and determine the best course of action. If, on assessment, you have insufficient jaw bone density for the dental implant procedure we can refer you out to an oral surgeon who will carry out the necessary surgery so you can have the implant treatment.
The next appointment is the placement of the dental implant. The dental implant is a titanium screw that is surgically placed at the site of the missing tooth root. Before the next appointment a period of 3 to 4 months will elapse. The reason for this is it takes this long for your implant and your jaw to osseointegrate.
Once the implant and jaw have fused the abutment is attached to the implant and gum sewed shut while it heals. Then next appointment is the placement of the implant crown.
Implant crowns are different to normal dental crowns because there is not the same give with a dental implant as there is with your natural tooth. With this in mind an implant crown is designed to take the pressure exerted by your bite.
What to keep in mind post-dental implant treatment
After your dental implant treatment it is important to visit City Smiles regularly. In fact after any restorative treatment regular check-ups are important to continue to check the integrity of the implant.
While dental implants are not going to suffer from dental decay they are susceptible to perioimplantitis. This is gum disease for dental implants and is the highest cause of dental implant failure.
By visiting City Smiles in Melbourne for your dental implant treatment and check-ups you can rest assured you’ll receive the most appropriate treatment for your oral health.
If you would like to know more about how City Smiles can help you, or to book an appointment, please contact us today.
