Dental implants are an increasingly popular way to replace missing teeth. The implantology team at Eastbourne’s Fellows Dental Practice is highly skilled and can treat even the most complex implant cases. If you have lost one or more of your teeth, we would recommend considering using dental implants to replace them.

Of course, we understand that having dental implants is a big decision – but we also believe it is one of the best that you can make. Here are some common questions patients ask dentists about implants. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for here, please get in touch with our Eastbourne practice and we will be more than happy to help you.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants are small titanium screws placed directly in your jaw bone in a minor surgical procedure, carried out here at our Eastbourne dental practice. They replace the root portion of a missing tooth and support crowns, bridges or dentures.

Why should I replace missing teeth?

We would always recommend replacing missing teeth. As well as increasing your self-confidence, replacing teeth has health benefits. Remaining teeth can become crooked and harder to clean, thus more at risk of decay, if you don’t fill in the gaps. Your diet can also be affected.

Do dental implants hurt?

Implant placement is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you should experience no discomfort. Your dentist will ensure you have adequate pain relief to deal with any post-operative pain, which is usually mild.

What if I’ve suffered bone loss?

Patients who have experienced bone resorbtion can still have dental implants; you will just need an additional procedure first to rebuild the bone. At our Eastbourne practice we can carry out bone grafts and sinus lifts to ensure your bone is dense enough for implants.

Dental implants are a thoroughly modern way for dentists to replace missing teeth. At Fellows Dental Practice in Eastbourne our experienced implantology team have helped countless patients to restore confidence in their smile and regain their ability to eat a full, balanced diet with the help of implants – even in complex cases for patients who have experienced bone loss.

Some dentists will tell you that if you have experienced bone loss you are not suitable for implant treatment. However, this is no longer the case. Our skilled Eastbourne implant team are able to help patients who do not initially have enough bone density to support dental implants by performing an additional procedure first to rebuild your bone.

Why bone loss happens

Bone loss is a common side effect of having missing teeth. It is particularly prevalent in patients who have worn traditional dentures for some years, because without any replacement for the tooth root the jaw bone starts to shrink back or resorb. This can lead to dentures that once fitted perfectly becoming loose, uncomfortable and prone to slipping out, affecting your speech, ability to eat some foods, and your confidence.

How dental implants help

Dental implants help to prevent bone loss because they replace the root portion of a tooth or teeth. Because they are made from titanium, which is highly compatible with the body, they promote bone growth and help to stop resorbtion.

Additional procedures at our Eastbourne practice

Patients who have already experienced bone loss may need additional procedures to rebuild their bone prior to implant placement. A sinus lift or bone graft uses donor material to build the bone back up, after which your dental implants can be fitted. This will increase your treatment time, but most patients agree it is worth the wait.

Losing a tooth is a traumatic experience. Whatever the cause, a missing tooth can make you embarrassed to show your smile in public. But did you know that missing teeth cause more than just aesthetic problems?

When teeth are lost, extra strain is put on any remaining teeth. They may also move position into any gaps, becoming crooked and hard to clean, while over time the bone beneath where your teeth used to be starts to recede.

So if you’ve lost a tooth, what can you do? One increasingly popular solution is dental implants. Unlike other options such as bridges or unsecured dentures, dental implants are permanent and actually integrate with your bone, not just providing a stable base for tooth replacement but also helping to prevent bone loss.

Dental implants are colloquially known as replacement teeth, but strictly speaking they are more like replacement tooth roots, onto which tooth replacements are attached. They are made of titanium and are placed directly in the jaw bone with a minor surgical procedure. Replacement teeth in the form of crowns, bridges or secured dentures are then fitted on top.

Although they have grown massively in popularity in the last decade, it may surprise you to learn that implants have been used for the past 30 years. They are now widely regarded as one of the best long-term solutions to tooth loss.

Here at Fellows Dental Practice, principal dentist Mark Fellows holds a Masters in Dental Implantology and has successfully treated many implant patients.

Dental implants restore not just your confidence in your smile; they also give you back full functionality, meaning you can enjoy all your favourite foods once more.

So please do call the practice and ask to see Mark for a consultation on dental implants.