In your head, picture the perfect smile. Talk to a friend and ask them to do the same. You could compare your ideas and there are bound to be differences. It’s the same if you ask anyone else. Even if we have similar benchmarks such as cleanliness and brightness, the overall vision is usually personal to each person you ask. One thing you will notice, however, is that no one’s vision of a perfect smile includes missing teeth. We all know that large gaps between the teeth do not look or feel great.

At Bromley Dental Practice, we can work with you to remodel your smile using treatments like dental implants in Bromley.

What do dental implants do?

Dental implants in Bromley are designed to fill gaps in your smile with natural looking teeth. Even if you have multiple teeth missing, you can still consider dental implants. If they are adjacent to one another, you may be able to have more than one tooth mounted on a single implant. How many implants you need is one of the things that we will investigate during your initial consultation. Once this is complete, you will have a clear picture about the desired course of your treatment as well as plenty of knowledge about the beneficial impact that dental implants can have on your life.

Treatments that work together

Dental implants in Bromley can work well with other treatments if you have a combination of missing teeth and teeth that can be left in place, but which need some work. For example, you can have one or several teeth replaced after whitening your remaining teeth. The dental implants can be matched to the new shade of your natural teeth, so it looks like you have a whiter smile as well as a complete set of teeth.

If you are going to address issues with your smile, you might as well go all the way and request a treatment plan that brings all of your teeth – old and new – up to the same high standards of health and appearance. A smile makeover is an investment in your appearance, your confidence and in the future health of your smile.

Dental implants are a viable option for patients struggling with tooth loss. However, they are not for everyone. Many patients cannot heal properly from implant surgery due to underlying health conditions. Knowing this in advance can help your dentist customise your treatment or suggest an alternative tooth replacement option.

At Bromley Dental Practice, most of our patients recover from implant surgery very soon and healing can take up to a few months – we also place and restore dental implants in Bromley and replacement teeth in a single day. Some health problems can compromise healing, however, and for this reason, we urge our patients to tell us everything about their oral and general health during their consultation appointment. Some of these problems may prevent the successful implementation of dental implants in Bromley, yet this does not mean that implants are unachievable even when these conditions are present.

Smoking

Although not really a health condition but rather a lifestyle choice, smoking can compromise the successful healing of dental implants in Bromley. While there is no guarantee that smoking alone will cause the failure of dental implants, studies have shown that nicotine interferes with the flow of the blood to the soft tissues of the mouth. Smoking will also change the bacterial balance in your mouth potentially causing infection and gum disease – hardly a friendly environment for implants.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Studies have also shown that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (or other rheumatoid diseases) have a higher risk of implant failure compared to regular patients. This is because this condition prevents the dental implants from bonding properly to the bone, leading to increased healing times. This can lead to serious risks but it doesn’t mean that if you suffer from this condition, you are not eligible for dental implants in Bromley. We simply need to ensure that you are closely monitored throughout the healing period.

Diabetes

Last but not least, uncontrolled diabetes is another disease that may hinder the successful outcome of dental implants. Uncontrolled sugar levels can impair proper healing, so it’s important to control your condition before implant therapy.

If you are suffering from any of the above conditions and you would like to explore your implant options, contact us today.

Dental implants are a bit of a mystery for many people. This relatively recent technology is starting to become better known in recent years, but many people are still in the dark when it comes to the details.

At Bromley Dental Practice, our team of highly trained dentists and staff is well experienced in fitting dental implants in Bromley, and will answer any questions you may have.

Does it hurt?

One of the most-asked questions when it comes to dental implants in Bromley is how much pain is involved. The very act of drilling into the jawbone and fixing a piece of metal into it seems like it should be very painful. However, this is not the case. There are actually fewer nerves in the jawbone then there are in a tooth, so the surgery can hurt less than getting a regular filling. Of course, anaesthetic is always used, and many patients state that they felt no pain at all. Dental drilling techniques have advanced a lot, meaning that they are now minimally invasive and use special planning technology to determine the angle and depth required.

Is it worth the cost?

Dental implants in Bromley can involve a not inconsiderate outlay. However, it is worth considering that they last for at least 15 years, often decades, and can have positive effects on the health and look of the mouth and jaw. If a single tooth is missing, leaving a gap may seem feasible, especially if it is at the back. But that gap can have an adverse effect on the teeth around it. Teeth stay strong by supporting each other – if there is a missing tooth, the neighbouring teeth can start to tilt or twist over time.

Where several teeth are missing, a denture or bridge offer reasonable replacements, but over the years the jawbone will start to recede without the support of the roots of the missing teeth. This can lead to a somewhat sunken look to the face.

There are also the considerations of comfort and confidence. Dental implants in Bromley can make eating considerably easier, and do wonders for your self-confidence. Visit us for a consultation if you are considering implants and have more questions.

Dental implants in Bromley are one of the biggest advances in dental technology in recent times, but how recent are they? If you are thinking of investing in dental implants in Bromley, you may be interested in the history of this technology.

Dental implants in ancient history

It may surprise you to know that dental implants date back to around 2000BC – in ancient China missing teeth appear to have been replaced with carved bamboo pegs. There is also evidence of the ancient Egyptians using their own version of dental implants.

Archaeological evidence from around 600AD has been found indicating that the Mayan civilisation in Central America used a crude version of dental implants. Skulls have been found that have teeth made from materials including jade and shell. Though they may be crude, they must have been successful in their own way, as the implants appeared to have fused with the jawbone in the same way a modern implant would. There must have been a great deal of pain involved for the patient though, as there were no anaesthetics or fine tools for drilling around at that time. Don’t worry, if you are thinking of having dental implants in Bromley, you won’t be subjected to any ancient practices.

Historically, missing teeth were often replaced with teeth from either another human, or an animal. While this probably seemed like the height of technology at the time, we now know that there is a higher risk of infection and implant failure with natural tooth implants.

The advent of modern dental implants

The most amazing thing about dental implants in Bromley is the way the titanium screw actually fuses with the jawbone, encouraging bone growth and forming a very stable support. This property of titanium was discovered by accident in the 1950s.

The first human dental implant, as we know them in modern times, was performed in 1965. It lasted 40 years, until the patient died.

Modern technology wins

While these historic versions of implants are very interesting, they are best left in the past. At Bromley Dental Practice, we pride ourselves on using the latest technology and methods when it comes to dental implants in Bromley.

In these times of austerity and uncertainty of what Brexit will deliver, we are all having to tighten our belts and think very carefully when it comes to having to spend extra. Maybe not buy that extra pair of shoes even though they are bang on trend and extra comfy. Maybe settle for a partial denture even though what you really want is dental implants in Bromley.

Want versus need

Hang on though, here we have a clear case of want versus need. It’s for sure you need to replace that lost tooth. It got knocked out when you were exercising, and you’ve ordered a mouth guard for the next time you go mountain biking, but in the meantime, you need to get that gap filled. Partial dentures are cheaper, but do you really want decades of a plate that clicks in your mouth when you want it to be silent, that lifts up when you want it to lie still?

Disappearing bone and gum

Do you really want the bone and gums where your tooth used to be to start melting away, almost before your eyes each time you look in the mirror? Yes, that really does happen. Without a tooth root in it, your jawbone thinks it’s no longer in use in that area and the bone starts to dissolve itself. Leave it a while and you will be able to feel with your tongue that an arch is developing between your teeth and that the jawbone is thinner from front to back too.

The only way to stop this depressing development is to have dental implants in Bromley fitted, and we will happily do that for you here at Bromley Dental Practice.

Roots and all

Dental implants in Bromley are the only method of tooth restoration that replaces the root of lost teeth. Having implants means you maintain your bone structure and you also get your full chewing power back, which means you can continue to eat whatever you like.

Also, dental implants in Bromley can last for decades and decades if you look after them well, so in the long run, they could work out the same price or even cheaper than the alternatives.

People just love to tell each other terrible gory stories of their operations, and people love to listen. But it is always good to take such stories with a pinch of salt and not let them put you off if you need something done. There are some great war stories of dental implant fittings, but are they really true? At Bromley Dental Practice, we like to think not. Here’s what to expect when you come for dental implants in Bromley with us.

Consultation

Our implant surgeon will have a good chat with you and take a good look at your dental and medical history. You can expect to have your jawbone very carefully checked, with x-rays and maybe CT scans, to see if it is strong and dense enough for the dental implants to be able to sustain the powerful forces created by chewing.

If you get the go-ahead, then we will book you in for surgery.

Scared? We wouldn’t be surprised, especially if you’ve heard stories of terrible pain endured. But, they are probably not true. There just aren’t enough nerve endings in the jawbone to send massive pain signals to the brain, and anyway, you will be very well numbed with a local anaesthetic.

Still scared? Don’t worry, we can help you deeply relax with either oral or intravenous sedation.

The surgery

So, all numbed up and floating on a cloud of sedatives, you lie back in the chair while we cut through your gum and create carefully planned channels in your jawbone to take the implants. Once they are in place, we put your gum back and cap the implants off with a temporary cover.

The waiting game

Over the next 2-6 months, new bone tissue grows all over the implants to hold them securely in place.

The final bit

Then you come back to us and we put on your handcrafted porcelain crowns.

Aftercare

Now all you need to do is maintain a careful brushing and flossing routine, plus regular hygienists’ visits, and your dental implants in Bromley will last for at for at least 15 years, probably decades.

You have probably met people who have told you how they were turned down for dental implants. It used to happen quite a lot, but these days, with advances in implant research, dentistry has found ways around a lot of the problems associated with dental implants. In Bromley, at Bromley Dental Practice, we love telling people that they can have dental implants fitted.

Healing and your jaw

The big issue with dental implants is that they have to be able to integrate with your jawbone if they are going to withstand the powerful forces created by chewing. The jawbone starts to deteriorate as soon as there are no tooth roots in it to send vibrations down from impacting on other teeth. The vibrations tell the jawbone it is still in use and when they stop, the jawbone interprets this as meaning there’s no chewing going on. It starts to dissolve itself around that area, it gets smaller and less dense. Putting a dental implant into a resorbed jawbone would be like trying to hang a heavy picture on a screw in a thin plasterboard wall. It won’t last long.

Ways to rebuild your jawbone

These days, we can give you a bone graft by adding in bone tissue taken from elsewhere in your body, or from another source. We put this into your jawbone before implant surgery, and give it a good few weeks to bed down. Then we can add in your implants. Another way to do this is to put bone material into the enlarged sinus cavity of your upper jaw.

All this adds time to your implant treatment, but it will be worth it in the end.

Implants in your cheekbones

We can circumvent bone grafting in the upper jaw by using extra-long implants that go through your jawbone and anchor into your cheekbone.

Make it easy on yourself

If you want dental implants in Bromley, the best thing to do is to get on the case as soon as you have lost or know you are going to lose your teeth. If you are a smoker, stop smoking. If you have diabetes, get it under control.