Have you lost all or some of your natural teeth? Bridges, dentures and flexible dentures are not the only solution, thanks to advances in modern dentistry. Have you heard of dental implants? Implant dentistry offers a clinically proven and safe solution to getting a great smile back and being able to bite and chew with confidence.
If you require a more extensive restoration than a crown or have more than one tooth that needs to be repaired, a good solution is a bridge.
Bridges are usually made of a precious metal base, which gives them a solid structure and makes them hard-wearing. If you need a bridge in your smile line, porcelain is usually added to the base to make it look more like real teeth.
A bridge helps to strengthen the prepared teeth and makes chewing and eating easier because they are fixed and can’t come out.
Some bridges can also be fixed to your jaw with dental implants, if you have several teeth next to each other that are missing.
Once you have a bridge fitted, you will have to take extra care during your daily hygiene regime to ensure it stays plaque free and does not cause bad breath.
If you have a few or all of your teeth missing, one solution is to have a denture.
A denture is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums to give your mouth a natural appearance.
After impressions are taken, a denture is designed in a dental laboratory.
Dentures are made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove them for cleaning.
When you wear a denture for the first time it may take some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important that you take extra care when conducting your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.
If you have loose or ill-fitting dentures, your ability to eat and speak may become affected. Due to advances in dentistry, there is now a procedure whereby your denture can be fixed to your jaw with dental implants. This treatment, known as implant overdentures or denture stabilisation, offers patients with dentures a more permanent solution and can improve quality of life significantly. You will be able to enjoy your favourite foods again and feel comfortable smiling, safe in the knowledge that your dentures are staying put.
You will require surgery to have the implants placed into your jaw.
Once the implants have integrated with the bone and surrounding tissues for a period of time, your dentures are placed on top of the implants through a range of special fixtures.
This means your dentures can still be removed for cleaning, but will stay put once in place.