Replacing multiple missing teeth in just a single treatment visit.

Many of you will probably have heard about dental implants; about how they can be used to replace a missing tooth.

There is no doubt that this offers an excellent method for replacing a missing tooth, but what if you have lost a number of teeth, or even the full arch? Can dental implants be used to replace them too?

The answer is ‘yes’, although perhaps not in the way that you might imagine. The ‘obvious’ solution would be to replace each tooth individually with an implant. Whilst this could potentially work, it would require a very lengthy treatment period and would be extremely expensive. The good news is that this can usually be done more efficiently and by using far fewer dental implants, usually four, although sometimes a few more, depending on individual circumstances.

All on 4 technique – new teeth in just one day!

Other names for this procedure include ‘immediate loading implants’ and ‘same day teeth’. Unlike individual implant placement, the patient does not need to wait for the osseointegration period (jawbone bonding) to complete before they can use their new replacement teeth, although some initial care should be taken as we will discuss later.

To replace multiple consecutive teeth, or even a full missing arch, a number of implants are placed at strategic positions into the jawbone by one of the experienced implant dentists at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic. This is very similar to individual placement except that the implants that are used towards the rear of the jawbone are specially designed to be placed at around a 45 degree angle. Doing so greatly increases their initial stability and allows them to act as a very firm and solid anchor.

With individual placement, you would then have to wait around three months before the abutment and crown were fitted, following the implant fusing with the jaw bone. Thanks to the rear implants though, this is not necessary, and, to complete your teeth replacement procedure, a fixed bridge, or occasionally specially fitted dentures, are then attached to the dental implants that have just been placed. Once this has been done, the treatment is complete and you can leave us with a new set of teeth in just a single visit to your Canterbury dental practice!

IV sedation option

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Our Canterbury dental team look at the pros and cons of these two teeth replacement methods

Traditionally, the loss of any teeth would mean a choice of two options; either leave a gap or replace the missing tooth with a partial, or full, denture. The first option is inadvisable, and not only for aesthetic reasons. Any missing teeth that leave a gap will allow a space for other teeth to encroach into.

Over time, even a single missing tooth can cause other teeth to become crooked and unsightly. Whilst dentures go some way in preventing this from happening, they come with their own ‘problems’.

Even with modern, and greatly improved dentures, some wearers still find them uncomfortable and unstable. Whilst they now look more realistic than may have been the case in the past, they also still fail to replace the lost root of a tooth. Without this, bone degradation is likely to occur and can lead to the dentures becoming ill-fitting and moving around in the mouth. This can lead to socially awkward moments and may also making eating certain foods more difficult.

Are dental implants the answer?

Dental implants are increasingly suggested as the best alternative to dentures, and, at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic, we have to say, we totally agree with this analysis. Whilst both methods offer a means of replacing the more visible aspects of tooth loss, dental implants benefit patients in ways that dentures simply can’t.

As mentioned earlier, dentures do not replace the missing root section of a lost tooth, leading to bone loss and a lack of stability. Dental implants, on the other hand, fulfill this very role, and can be thought of as a replacement tooth root. They are usually made from titanium, a material used because it successfully bonds with the bone in the jaw, in a process known as osseointegration. It is this very process that provides such a strong and secure base onto which a crown is finally attached. Once completed, an implant has a very long life if looked after correctly, and those who have them, generally treat and consider them exactly as they do their natural teeth.

How are implants placed?