Dental Implants at Absolute Dental - My Experience

I had only been training as a dental nurse for a matter of months when I was told that one of my remaining deciduous (baby) teeth had finally given up the ghost and needed to be extracted. I was aware that there was nothing underneath the tooth to replace it so of course, I immediately starting thinking about the options I would have to fill the space.

If you’re missing a tooth, you’ve got several options. The least advisable is to do nothing! It’s not just about aesthetics…Replacing a lost tooth is important to restoring maximum function, maintaining the alignment of surrounding teeth, and preserving facial contours.

Your pearly whites don’t just look pretty, they are important place holders for each other. Over time, those adjacent to a toothless gap can drift to fill the space and move out of alignment.  Additionally, tooth roots below the gums provide stimulation that the underlying jawbone needs to maintain its form and density.

Knowing this made my decision an easier one, the space needed filling with ideally an implant, but there was still the apprehension that came with that decision.

So, what is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a "root" device, made of titanium, used in dentistry to replace missing teeth by supporting restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. Implants are placed into the jaw bone underneath the gum. When replacing a single tooth, a crown is fitted upon it, which will emerge from the gum line as the natural tooth would have done. Implants can also be used to replace multiple teeth by securely fixing a bridge or denture to them. In this case, one or more implants may need to be used.

 

 

Of course I had seen implants being placed, but when it is you undergoing the procedure, it’s a totally different experience.

Firstly the tooth was extracted, that was the worst part, and honestly, even that was fine and over in a matter of minutes.

Next was the implant placement. I walked into the surgery, knowing what equipment would be laid out and how everything would look, but I still felt very nervous. In the end the placement was an absolute breeze. I felt nothing. I had no pain afterwards like I was expecting and managed to eat dinner that evening with no problems at all. Mr John really was a magician, like so many of his patients had told him already, and now I understood why.

I then had to wait 3 months for the implant to heal before having the crown placed over the top. That was the exciting part, looking at my new tooth in the mirror. It looked great. I was so pleased. It felt a little strange to begin with but I quickly got used to it and enjoyed being able to eat on both sides again, and as I progressed in my training and learnt more about the effects the other space filling options could have had on my other teeth, I realised I had made the right decision.

I can safely say, if any of my friends or family were to ask me what they should replace any missing teeth with – I wold always advise an implant. It may be one of the more expensive options, but it is an option that will last.

Thank you Mr John for my new tooth.

Gemma