Missing teeth are a problem for many of our patients here at Orpington Dental Care. In fact, even a single missing tooth can harm the stability of the rest of your teeth. Fortunately, it is not something you need to live with for the rest of your life.

Therefore, our dentists will emphasise the importance of replacing missing teeth with suitable replacements, such as dental implants in Orpington. These restorations will not only take the place of lost teeth, but will also mimic the natural structure of the teeth and help maintain the rest of your smile.

What are dental implants?

Your natural teeth consist of two parts: the part you can see above the gum line and the part anchored by tissue and bone, known as the root. The implant portion of your dental implants in Orpington are titanium screws secured directly into the jawbone.

Our dentists here at Orpington Dental Care use them to replace one, several, or all your missing teeth by topping them with a crown, or using them for an implant retained denture.

What are the consequences of missing teeth?

Many people believe that losing teeth is inevitable, but the truth is your permanent teeth should last a lifetime. However, due to many factors, not all of which are in your control, teeth sometimes can fall out or but subject to an accident resulting in tooth loss.

This loss will not only leave a gap in your smile, but will also disrupt the balanced relationship between the tooth and bone. The jawbone helps to anchor teeth in position, but the teeth also stimulate the bone to keep it strong.

When you lose one or more teeth, it will also lead to some level of bone loss as there is nothing in the socket to stimulate the underlying structures. This loss of bone can impact your appearance and can even make you appear older than you are.

It will also affect your overall health because you may experience problems with the remaining teeth and could lose your ability to speak or eat easily. With dental implants in Orpington these problems could be a thing of the past.