The longevity of dental implants in St. John’s Wood
Your health is one of the most important investments you will ever make; you only get one body and it’s important to take care of it. When considering dental implants in St. John’s Wood one of the first questions that may come to mind is how long are they going to last? And taking into account the cost and the fact that surgery is required to put them in, we at Aura Dental understand the importance of knowing just how long you can expect your investment to last.
The implants, not the teeth
Many people may think that what they see when they smile is the important bit of the tooth, however, that’s just the outside and of course, it serves the function of biting, chewing, and assistance with speech. However the root of that tooth, the part that is secured into the jaw is the bit that holds everything together; from the structure of the jaw bone to the alignment of your bite, it’s the bit we don’t see that is important.
When a tooth falls out due to injury or decay, a hole is left in a small socket, where it used to fit. Dental implants in St. John’s Wood are titanium screws that are surgically placed in this space to fill the socket and a custom artificial tooth is then secured onto that as a separate entity that may be replaced or changed if needs be.
Types of implants
Implants, come in different shapes and sizes and your dentist will decide which is best suited to you after an inspection of the state of your jaw and gums. In general, titanium that is used in the body can last upwards of twenty years as it is very durable and seldom rejected; dental titanium may last a lifetime if all goes well with the postoperative healing process.
There are commonly 4 types of implants that a dentist may consider when it comes to your tooth replacement:
Two-stage – A surgery is conducted to place the correct implant into the jaw bone. After a few months of healing, another minor surgery is performed to attach the artificial tooth or crown as needed.
Endosteal – These are placed using the two-stage method but may support a bridge of more than one tooth per implant.
Single-stage – A longer implant is placed into the jaw that remains exposed during the healing process allowing for direct attachments of the tooth or crown without a second minor surgery to expose the implant.
Subperiosteal are implanted with the same technique as the aforementioned single-stage implants.
Who is a good candidate?
For permanent long-lasting dental implants in St. John’s Wood, any adult who has lost a tooth or multiple teeth are good candidates for an implant consultation at their dentist. Even if only one tooth needs replacing it is important to see that it gets done as the health implications for a missing tooth over time can be disastrous. Implants can last upwards of 20 years with many cases proving to have lasted a lifetime, meaning that they are a secure investment in your oral health.