What Type of Dental Implants Are Best for Me?

If you’ve lost one or more teeth, you’re probably keen to find the best replacement option. A gap in your smile can dent your confidence, cause problems eating, affect your speech, and put you at increased risk of further oral health problems

Dental implants are the gold standard when it comes to replacing your teeth. The firm anchorage they provide is unparalleled, and they fully restore your ability to smile, speak, and laugh.

What Are Dental Implants?

Put simply, dental implants replace the roots of your teeth. Made from strong, biocompatible titanium, a dental implant is a small post that beds down into your jawbone. Over time, your implants will fuse with your bone to provide a firm bond that allows you to bite and chew confidently.

A dental implant can support a single replacement tooth, or we can place a few to hold several new teeth in position.

Different dental implant options are available

There are several different types of dental implants. So, which option best suits your needs? Here’s a brief explanation of the different dental implant options available.

Single Dental Implants

Single-tooth dental implants consist of one titanium post which supports a lifelike dental crown. Every crown is custom-made, so it matches the look of your existing teeth and blends naturally with the rest of your smile.

Single-tooth implants are placed in stages. Between each step, we must wait for your jawbone to heal. This might seem like a lot of effort, but dental implants are worth the wait.

A single dental implant is an ideal solution if you’ve only lost one tooth. But if you’ve lost several teeth, having an implant to support each tooth becomes impractical. In these cases, we’d recommend implant-retained bridges, implant-retained dentures, or all-on-four implants.

All-On-Four Dental Implants

Sometimes called “Same Day Teeth”, All-on-four implants are a quick and efficient way to replace multiple teeth. Using four well-positioned titanium implants, we can support up to an entire arch of natural-looking replacement teeth.

Unlike traditional single-tooth implants, we can often place all-on-four implants in one day.

Implant-Retained Dentures

Traditional dentures are unsupported. Although modern dentures might offer more security compared to old-fashioned false teeth that were prone to rattling around the mouth, they still have limitations, and you might not have the full confidence to eat whatever you like.

Using a few strategically placed dental implants, we can support a full set of dentures, giving them a much firmer base that provides the stability to chew anything.

Just like traditional dentures, your implant-retained dentures are also removable, making them easier to clean.

Implant-Retained Bridges

Dental bridges span gaps left by missing teeth. Traditionally, a dental bridge gets its support from its neighbouring natural teeth. While this offers a reasonable degree of support, allowing you to go about your daily life, there’s no anchorage to the jaw, and the tension from your replacement teeth is spread across its neighbours.

Implant-retained bridges don’t need support from your remaining natural teeth. Instead, they use titanium posts that are firmly implanted into the jaw. Unlike traditional bridges, you won’t need to have your neighbouring teeth altered in any way to support your new smile.

Get Dental Implant Advice at Harley Private Dental

Here at Harley Private Dental, we want you to get the best dental care possible. Our team is here to advise you on your dental implant options so you can make an informed choice.

Call us today to schedule your dental implant consultation in Sheffield.

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