Gum disease and dental implants
Do you know what the leading cause of tooth loss in adults is?
Gum disease.
More specifically gum disease that leads to severe periodontitis. Periodontitis is the final and most severe stage of gum disease. The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis, and if detected early this can be treated, however if it progresses to periodontitis it can be treated but not necessarily cured. While gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease not every case of gingivitis will lead to periodontitis.
Avoid tooth loss with regular dental care
If you suffer from gingivitis or periodontitis, you need to visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and cleans. Coupled with your own at-home oral hygiene routine this can successfully avoid gingivitis progressing to periodontitis.
Some of the symptoms of periodontitis:
- Red, swollen or inflamed gums
- Painful chewing
- Loose teeth
- Sensitive teeth
- Receding gums
At Beecroft Dental Centre we provide gum disease treatment plan to help improve your oral and overall health.
The role of dental implants
If you have lost teeth either because of illness, disease or because of trauma it is important to get treatment.
While there are a number of effective treatments for tooth loss (dental bridges, dentures etc.), the best treatment for your overall oral health is dental implant treatment. This treatment is a whole tooth replacement:
The dental implant acts as an artificial tooth root providing support to your jaw while the implant crown restores function to your bite, and looks like a natural tooth. Overall this treatment unlike dental bridges or dentures looks after your jaw, your bite and restores the appearance of a full set of teeth.
A missing tooth is also bad for your oral health because it can lead to gum disease as well as:
- cause teeth on either side of the gap to migrate
- distort your bite
- cause jaw bone and gum tissue to deteriorate
- generate difficulties when speaking or chewing
The dental implant process
If you are missing a tooth (or teeth) we recommend visiting Beecroft Dental Centre for a consultation. We will exam your oral health and determine what the best treatment is for you.
Before getting dental implants one of our friendly dentists will need to ensure that you have adequate jawbone structure to proceed with the dental implant treatment. If it turns out that you don’t have adequate jawbone structure you may need bone grafting surgery before proceeding with treatment.
If you are suitable for dental implant treatment it takes two appointments. The first appointment is where the dental implant is surgically inserted into the jawbone. Once inserted, your jawbone will start to heal around the implant—a process known as osseointegration—creating a strong and sturdy artificial tooth root. When your jawbone has healed around the implant, you will come back for your next appointment: this is where the implant crown is attached to the dental implant.
As with any restorative treatment it is important that you visit Beecroft Dental Centre regularly for check-ups to ensure your continued oral health.