Getting dental implants in Clapham is a lengthy procedure, but absolutely necessary if you are missing a tooth. However, that doesn’t mean that you will be living with an unsightly gap for months on end while you wait for your body to do its part of the treatment. There are various ways we at Clapham South Dental Centre can save your image and help you remain confident, while you wait for the treatment to be complete.

The procedure explained

Implants are often the best dental restoration option if you have lost one or more teeth, the procedure is approved by the FDA and involves surgery and recovery time. Once you have been to a consultation and are approved for surgery, your dentist will remove any bits of damaged tooth that remain or in some cases, if a tooth needs to first be removed because it’s damage is irreparable, they will perform that surgery first.

Once the area is properly cleaned, a bone grafting procedure may need to take place, if it is necessary, in order to create the correct space in which to anchor the implant, once this part of the jaw has been properly prepared then the titanium implant is set in place. Titanium is used as it is an alloy that is least likely to be rejected by the body, in some cases a special coating is used to encourage bone growth.

The area over the newly placed implant is covered for protection and a temporary crown or denture is set in place in the gap to match your other teeth, while you wait for your body to heal. This temporary covering may be secured to other teeth without damaging them, ensuring that your day to day life is not affected by a gap.

Why it takes a while

The surgery for dental implants in Clapham only takes a couple of hours, but then it is up to your body to do the rest of the work. This regeneration takes time depending on each person, as your jawbone needs to grow around the implant to secure it in place, as it would a regular tooth. This bone growing process is called osseointegration and depending on the age and health of each person’s bones the time it takes may vary.

Once this healing time is complete, your dentist may need to place an abutment to the implant, this is the piece that the final crown will be secured to. It involves a small surgery where the gum is reopened and the abutment is attached.

The final result

Your dental implants in Clapham will finally be complete when a permanent false tooth, crown or bridge of teeth is attached to the implant. These will be custom created to match your other teeth in size, shape, and colour and look as believable as real teeth, as the porcelain used in their creation mimic a natural tooth’s translucent appearance. By practicing good oral hygiene, maintaining these new teeth is as simple as maintaining your own, the implants are designed to last almost a lifetime and may very well do so for you.