Dental Implants
Thinking about Dental Implants to replace a tooth?
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Do you struggle to eat, smile or chew with confidence with missing teeth?
Perhaps you get food stuck in the gaps or just find you are smiling with your hand over your mouth?
Dental implants from our dental practice in Barnstaple, North Devon can help to restore your confidence, rebuild your smile and allow you to enjoy your favourite foods once again by replacing missing teeth.
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What are dental implants?
Implants offer a permanent solution for your missing teeth. A dental implant is essentially a substitute for a natural root and commonly it is screw or cylinder shaped.
Each implant is placed into a socket carefully drilled at the precise location of the intended tooth. Often the implant can be placed at the same time as removal of the tooth all on the same day.
If an implant has a screw-thread on its outer surface it can be screwed into position and if it does not, it is usually tapped into place. The main aim during installation of any implant is to achieve immediate close contact with the surrounding bone. This creates an initial stability, which over time is steadily enhanced by further growth of bone into microscopic roughnesses on the implant surface.
In order to support replacement teeth, dental implants normally have some form of internal screw thread or post space that allows a variety of components to be fitted. Once fitted, these components provide the foundation for long-term support of crowns, bridges or dentures. Click here for illustrated information.
Free guide available for immediate download...
"What Everyone Should Know about Replacing Missing Teeth BEFORE Starting Treatment"
A special report by Drs Donna & Rodney Hill revealing what you ought to know about replacing missing teeth.
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Find out:
The costs and lowest price alternatives
Your options and choices for treatment
Are you suitable for treatment?
Can dental implants be used as an alternative to root canal treatment?
What happens if you smoke?
How many implants might you need?
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Q. I want better shaped teeth, what are my options?"A. If you don't like the shape of your teeth or perhaps you have small chips missing then you have three options: Dental bonding for minor alterations. This is done directly onto your tooth by the dentist whilst you sit in the dental chair. Dental bonding is the application of a small amount of tooth coloured composite material directly onto your tooth, similar in texture to putty. Often requiring no injection it is the quickest and often cheapest option. Dental veneers. These are made of high strength dental ceramic and cover the entire front surface of your two, they will take approximately 2 weeks to make by a dental technician. They can correct more severe problems than bonding but often require an injection and may be more expensive. Dental crowns. these cover the whole of your tooth and will almost always require a dental injection as a larger amount of tooth structure will be removed. A dental crown is able to restore a severely broken down tooth but because of its more complex nature may be the most expensive option.
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Q. I want whiter teeth, what are my options?"A. Whiter teeth can be corrected in 3 different ways, each of them increasing in their ability to whiten teeth more: Whitening toothpaste. These often achieve a very minimal result but you should notice your teeth look a little whiter after use. Home teeth whitening. This is where you will be provided with a bleaching gel which you place inside a custom fitting bleaching tray over your teeth. I'm teeth whitening can whiten teeth with mild to moderate darkening. Dental veneers. As described above these are coverings which fit over the front surface of your tooth. Because dental veneers can be made to cover up the underlying tooth they are capable of whitening moderate to extreme dark teeth. At the same time they can also change the shape of the team which is sometimes an advantage.
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Q. I want straighter teeth, what are my options?"A. The most conservative way to straighten teeth is to use orthodontics. This is the process by which braces are used to move your teeth. These braces come in a variety of forms including invisible, rapid and conventional. Many dentists offer orthodontics themselves whilst other dentists prefer to refer to specialists for their orthodontic treatments.
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Q. I want to replace missing teeth, what are my options?"A. If you have missing teeth and want to replace them you have 3 options: Dentures. These are removable appliances made from a combination of acrylic resin and/or chrome cobalt metal. Modern dentures can be extremely aesthetic and acceptable if they are well made and well fitting. Dental bridges. These bridge the gap between two teeth with a space in between. The teeth either side of the gap will be reduced to accept an abutment tooth, this supports the missing tooth, known as a pontic. Dental Implants. These are effectively a complete replacement for a missing tooth and do not require the reduction of teeth either side of the gap. An implant is a titanium root on top of which a dental crown is placed. Online Leaflets Want general information on a condition or treatment? Visit the British Dental Health Foundation where they have over 40 online leaflets. Online Resource Want to find out about dental treatment? Want to know how to look after your teeth better? Visit the new BDA Smile web site. 3D Education Want to learn about dental anatomy, conditions, treatments and good oral health? Visit the BDA's cutting edge 3D Educational web site.