Patients we treat who have lost more than one tooth often wear dentures or partial dentures.
Common complaints include mouth discomfort and increased difficulty eating or speaking.
Did you know that if you wear dentures you have to eat soft foods for the rest of your life?
Loose dentures can affect your overall quality of life and cause many other serious oral health issues and complications.
These consequences often result in physiological and psychological issues.
As experts in restorative and implant dentistry, The Perfect Smile recommends dental implants to restore the mouth to a healthier state and improve function.
Dental implants can easily replace multiple missing teeth, using just one implant that connects teeth. The strong titanium implant screws can support a bridge of up to four teeth (in a row). The best solution to replace missing teeth, the procedure is long-lasting and requires little maintenance. See All-on-Four.
Depending on the bone mass in the jaw bone (this can deteriorate quickly in the presence of missing teeth), implants can be implanted the same day or over a few months. Implants look, feel and operate exactly like regular teeth. See the benefits.
Implants require some healing time – this process is where the titanium screw fuses with the jawbone (this can take a few months). Once this short period is over, the dentist can then fit your new implants with a porcelain crown, which will be specially crafted to blend flawlessly with the remaining teeth.
There are multiple oral health consequences and issues that occur due to having lost multiple teeth.
When gaps are left ignored, chances of the jaw bone receding grow, which results in your face appearing sunken.
On top of this, gum disease can form quickly, which will also erode bone and gum.
Overall issues include:
Cosmetics: The aesthetics and cosmetic aspect of your smile can directly impact your confidence and well-being.
Function: Your chewing ability can be affected in various ways depending upon which teeth are missing. If the spaces are left unrestored, the remaining teeth will have to take more pressure from chewing. The remaining teeth are under strain, which can lead to excessive tooth wear affecting structural integrity.
Bone Resorption: When more teeth are missing, then bone augmentation and grafting procedures are often required. This is especially true when the missing teeth are alongside each other. Also, if the missing teeth are at the front of the mouth, it can be challenging to achieve the correct aesthetics if an excessive bone loss occurs. Bone and gum grafting procedures may be required. Learn more.
Teeth missing from the mouth can result in physiological and psychological issues. Read more on the effects of missing teeth here.
Comprehensive Treatment Planning is Critically Important
It is important to note that proper attentive planning at the initial stages is critical when replacing multiple teeth.
There are essential aspects to consider and integrate into the final plan, such as correct, harmonious and stable bite and proper structural integrity of all the teeth.
A comprehensive assessment followed by detailed treatment planning will ensure the longevity of the resulting treatment with dental implants.
We work together with any referring dentist so that you can achieve a result that is both aesthetic and functional.
We are able to collaborate with your current dental practice.
At The Perfect Smile, we often refer patients to complete cosmetic and restorative work their current dentists cannot perform.
So any patient referred to us for the implant treatment will be directed back to their dentist to complete the vital aspect of the implant.
It is essential, especially during treatment planning, that both dentist and implantologist fully understand the aims of the treatment so that the appropriate selection of implant system.
Treatment Solutions for Multiple Missing Teeth
Implant-Supported Crown
If single teeth are missing from different parts of the mouth and your natural teeth in between, then the dentist may advise you to have a single dental implant in those areas supporting a single crown.
Using single implants result in the neighbouring teeth not being overburdened.
Single implants are also helpful in cases where the neighbouring teeth are unsuitable for traditional dental bridges.
The treatment method allows you to have multiple missing teeth replaced around the mouth. Our dentists can do the surgical placing of all the implants at one time.
Implant-Supported Bridge
When several teeth are missing next to each other, then an implant-retained bridge is a great solution.
Implant support bridges are often the treatment of choice when your natural teeth on either side of the gap are not strong enough to support a traditional dental bridge.
Two or more implants can support and anchor a bridge of multiple artificial teeth.
The bridge is made of a metal alloy framework with porcelain to give both strength and aesthetics.
In a similar respect, an innovative technique called all-on-4 is used in cases where there are no teeth present.
A fixed prosthesis is placed on top of four implants strategically placed in the jawbone in this technique.
When choosing this treatment, they can use their new teeth typically 24 hours after surgery, and the patient does not have to wait for osseointegration to occur.
Implant-Supported Denture
When there are no teeth in the jaw, then wearing a denture can be the only option available.
However, due to continual bone loss, dentures become loose over time. This instability leads to uncomfortable dentures that cause sore spots and embarrassing moments where the denture can drop down or move when either speaking or chewing.
Traditional dentures use the gums, teeth and facial muscles to keep them in place. Although dentures are pretty good at first and facilitate healing, they can gradually become unpredictable and unstable over time.
Patients often transition from dentures to Implants due to the adverse effects of tooth loss resulting in these difficulties. Learn more.
Implants provide unique functionality that is similar to teeth, using the jawbone to obtain support and stability.
Implant-supported dentures can improve the chewing ability, stability of the teeth, proper bite functioning and provide pleasing aesthetics.
There are a variety of ways dentures can be attached to the implant. One option is via small locator copings (as used in overdentures) or larger abutment copings where the denture attaches more retentively over the implants. Retention bars and telescoping attachments are also used.
The type of attachment is based upon the foundation of the jaw, and the patient’s treatment needs as few as two implants to treat a case where all the upper or lower teeth are completely missing.
Implant-supported dentures are more beneficial than traditional dentures since they are more retentive, and yet you retain the ability to remove the dentures for better cleaning.
In cases with a history of dental decay and gum disease, this is a great solution to give back cosmetics and chewing ability.
Implant-supported denture treatment can be necessary for patients who need the additional facility to clean the implants better with better visual access. A fixed solution like a bridge can be challenging to keep clean in those not as dextrous.
Step 1: We will start the process with a highly detailed and thorough comprehensive examination and assessment. We will then construct a customised treatment plan and design your implant treatment.
Step 2: An implantologist surgically places your new implant(s) in your mouth.
Step 3: We will assess your healing on this review appointment and make sure everything is going as planned.
Step 4: The dentist records and impressions to construct the implant’s top part (post and crown).
Step 5: The dentist will fit the final part of the implant (post and crown).
Step 6: Your final appointment allows you to have any further refining cosmetic enhancements or minor adjustments.
When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone that holds the tooth in place will diminish in height, width, and volume. This may affect the immediate and final appearance of the gum tissue in this area and possibly the surrounding teeth.
The larger the width of bone or the height of the bone, the wider and longer implant can be. A wider and longer implant increases implant stability and thus success. We assess the bone height and width by taking digital radiographs or by taking a CT Scan. More.
Once the implant has fused with your jawbone and tissues, the artificial titanium implant acts as an ordinary root. The longevity of your implant depends on how you improve and maintain your oral health. Read more.
When we place the implant, we make sure the procedure is pain-free. We offer a range of sedation and techniques suitable for nervous patients. You can find out more here.
There isn’t an age limit for dental implants. However, our dentists recommend that if you have to be over 18 for the dental implant procedure. Read on.
A dental implant offers a wealth of oral health benefits. Not only can an implant improve your smile, but it can also realign neighbouring teeth, protect your mouth from gum disease etc. Read the benefits.
When we implant a titanium implant into the jawbone, it becomes part of your oral foundation.
This offers a number of health benefits that include preventing any bone loss whilst supporting the jawbone structure and reduces the risk of gum disease. More.
The price of a dental implant can depend, for example, if any further treatments are needed to make sure your implant is a success, like bone regeneration.
Our inclusive single dental implant treatment costs £2,995 and includes the abutment and crown. More.
You can expect to feel some pain when having a new implant; however, the discomfort is kept to a minimum with modern anaesthetics. Nevertheless, post-process, there can be some swelling and aching for 5 -10 days.
Many patients have multiple implants in a single day without undue pain or distress. More.
Natural-looking
Will my implants match the colour of my existing teeth?
Implants are colour matched and then shaped to blend in with your existing teeth. To the naked eye, an implant is very hard to spot.
Highly experienced team
Unparalleled level of patient trust: Dr Rahul Doshi is the founder of the Perfect Smile and is the current President of the BACD.
With over 25 years of dental implant experience, Dr Rahul Doshi proudly leads a highly-skilful team that has access to the latest dental technology.