Tag: confidence

How can tooth loss be treated?

Tooth loss can be a very distressing condition that can affect abilities that most people take for granted, such as speaking, eating or smiling confidently.  Tooth loss is not only capable of negatively impacting these abilities, but it can also impair mental health and cause depression and anxiety.

What causes tooth loss?

One study concluded that there is a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of cerebrovascular events. However, it is important to note that correlation does not always mean causation: the correlation between these two variables could be due to other lifestyle factors that cause both tooth loss and stroke, such as smoking or poor diet.

Nonetheless, it is best to prevent tooth loss. Tooth loss is caused by tooth decay that reaches the pulp tissue, periodontitis and injuries.

To mitigate tooth decay and periodontitis, practise good oral hygiene habits by brushing your teeth twice a day and using an antibacterial mouthwash and dental floss.

You can prevent dental injuries by wearing a mouthguard when engaging in a higher risk activity, as this can afford valuable protection.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants are small metal appliances, which look very similar to a normal everyday screw. These are not simple screws, however. Due to the implants being made out of titanium, they are able to integrate into the tissues where they are implanted, in this case into the jawbone and the soft tissues surrounding it.

When you get dental implants, your dentist will initially screen you for any signs of tooth decay or periodontitis, as these will have to be treated before the process can begin, to ensure a higher likelihood of the implant working.

Once you are deemed fit for the operation, the surgery will happen and usually, about 3 months are left for the wound to heal and for the implant to integrate into the bone and the soft tissues.

Once the wound has healed appropriately, your dentist will order the replacement teeth that will be attached to the implant, meaning that you will now be able to eat, smile and speak without any worries.

Benefits and alternatives

Dental implants have a diverse array of benefits. While relatively expensive compared to other treatments of tooth loss, in the long run, an implant pays off, as it is a permanent solution that normally lasts almost a lifetime.

As the implants integrate into the jawbone – just like a natural tooth’s root – they are very resilient to the enormous amounts of pressure exerted on them through chewing.

Another important benefit is that dental implants do not require any specific aftercare. They simply need to be brushed, just like regular teeth.

Dental implants have numerous alternatives available as well, however.

One of the alternatives to dental implants is a dental bridge. In dental bridges, a replacement tooth is attached to adjacent crowns on the neighbouring teeth.

Other alternatives include dentures, however, these are thought to be less of a long-term solution and certain types can even facilitate tooth loss and damage.

Embedded in the Medical and Dental Community

Harley Street, in the centre of London, has been synonymous with the highest standard of dental and medical excellence for over 100 years.

First emerging as a desirable area for medical and dental practitioners in 1816 – early dentists and doctors found the Victorian townhouses of the district perfectly suited to house both their lodgings and practices within the same building.

One notable resident of the area from around that time was Florence Nightingale, who from 1856 operated and resided within the district.

Today, whilst much of the face of Harley Street has changed, its reputation as the place to go to in London for the highest degree of expertise, professionalism and discretion within cosmetic dentistry and medicine has remained largely unchanged.

For those seeking dental implants on Harley Street, they can rest assured that they will receive a standard of care and consideration that is befitting such a historically significant area.

Fitting the Procedures to the Patients, Not the Other Way Around

One practice operating within Harley Street which provides such care is Harley Street Dental Clinic. They provide patients with a bespoke, tailored dental service which is adapted to fit the individual needs and requirements of each patient.

It is their philosophy that, just as no two sets of teeth are identical, nor are any two courses of treatment – regardless of their similarities.

Rather than adopting the one-size-fits-all approach to dentistry, Harley Street Dental Clinic provides somewhat of a more holistic approach – focusing on the needs of the individual, and catering their services to fit those needs.

Relationships between patient and practitioners form the bedrock of any treatment at Harley Street Dental Clinic.

It is believed that by building a good rapport with patients, their dentists can transcend the conventional patient-practitioner role, and allow for a more mutually beneficial dental experience to come about.

Bridging the Gaps

Dental implants are one cosmetic procedure offered at Harley Street Dental Clinic, which is particularly popular.

Dental implants are only generally opted for in instances where patients have lost teeth, or have damaged teeth beyond repair – and they act as a prosthetic solution to any gaps or spaces within a patient’s mouth.

Having large or unsightly gaps in your mouth can have a massively detrimental effect on your self-esteem and confidence, and patients can often find their social lives affected as a result.

Dental implants address this, as they bridge the gap with a good-as-new, durable replica tooth – which is virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding teeth.

The process of installing a dental implant initially consists of drilling a small hole into the patient’s gum, where the missing tooth (or teeth) were, and inserting a titanium screw.

Next, the screw is left to heal for a brief period of time. During this time, the bone in the patient’s gum fuses with the titanium screw, and when they return to the dental practice, a replica tooth constructed from porcelain is fixed in place and the gap is filled.

Dental implant treatment can be massively beneficial in boosting the self-esteem and confidence of those seeking it, as it restores their smiles fully – without any potential embarrassment of exposing large or unsightly gaps within their teeth.

Have you had any dental implants fitted?  Did you feel a boost in confidence as a result?  Share your story in the comments below.

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