Dental Implants Birmingham

Dental implants are artificial replacements for teeth that have been lost through gum disease, tooth decay, trauma or even teeth that have been missing since birth. A dental implant consists of a titanium screw that replaces the root of a tooth in your jaw bone, on to which a crown is secured to match your other teeth. Multiple implants can provide fixed support for bridges and dentures.

Missing teeth will affect your ability to eat, it may affect your speech and often it impacts your self-confidence. Also once teeth are lost, the bone in which they are embedded gradually disappears because it is no longer required to support the teeth, and this will change your facial volume and profile. It is also worth understanding that when you lose teeth, the remaining teeth are taking the extra load for them, and this may cause them to move and breakdown sooner.

Until recent years, the only options for replacing missing teeth were bridges and dentures. Bridges involve drilling healthy neighbouring teeth and dentures are often loose and cause pain. Unlike dentures or a bridge, a dental implant becomes firmly integrated with your own bone and functions the same as a natural tooth. That means it is stable, permanent, matching to your existing teeth and keeps your jaw bone healthy and maintained.

At your consultation, it will be discussed whether you are suitable for immediate-loading or delayed-loading dental implants. Immediate-loading means that a crown can be placed at the time of implant placement, so our patients in Birmingham, Bromsgrove and Solihull have same-day teeth. Delayed-loading means that the implant is left to heal for around 3-6 months, following which the crown is placed.

Implants are a safe, well established, and predictable way to replace missing teeth providing you are seeing a qualified and experienced surgeon (Implantologist) for your treatment. How well you look after them and whether you go for regular maintenance with a dental hygienist will most definitely impact their durability but given the right care, they should last as long as natural teeth.

The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic so you will not feel any pain during or shortly after the treatment. As the anaesthetic wears off, you may feel some discomfort that is easily soothed with pain-killers.

Implants will not overcome gum disease and although uncommon, this is one of the ways implants can fail. However, implants are still successfully used to replace teeth lost through gum disease providing the disease is brought under control, and meticulous oral hygiene is maintained. It is critical your oral hygiene is of the highest standard, supported by regular visits to the hygienist. We will explain all of this as part of the implant process.

The average cost of a dental implant at Acorn Dental is around £2500, which equates to about £52 a month when financed. Your quote may be slightly less or more depending on the complexity of your case, whether a bone graft or soft tissue graft is required and the grade of final crown you choose to secure to the implant.