Problems with your teeth can really dent your confidence and affect your daily life, but dental implants could revolutionise all that.
Dr Chris Wood
Dental Implant Surgeon
BDS MFGD, Dip Imp Dent (RCS Eng) FFGDP (UK) GDC No: 57428
Most of us take our teeth for granted. Eating and smiling comes naturally and as long as we take care of our teeth, problems are usually few and far between.
But if you’re someone who suffers from dental problems, they can really take their toll. Whether you’ve been struggling for years with teeth you’re unhappy with, have ill-fitting dentures that regularly cause you pain and make eating difficult or you’ve started experiencing recent problems with your teeth, it can be a truly unpleasant experience. Part of the reason I love my job, is that I get the opportunity to change this for my patients and restore a confident, pain-free smile.
Dental implants have revolutionised the world of dentistry, not just for us as dentists but more importantly for our patients. They can replace a single tooth, or an entire set of teeth and we have the technology to be able to perfectly colour match to your existing teeth, so your new smile looks totally natural.
A patient story
But don’t just take it from me. One of our patient’s gave us permission to share his story which demonstrates the difference dental implants can make to a person’s life.
The patient, let’s call him Mr B, was referred to me at the age of 65. He had lost some of his lower teeth and suffered from long term gum disease which necessitated the removal of the remaining few. He had the lower teeth replaced with a denture which just wasn’t working for him and was having great difficulty eating and speaking. On top of this, he was also concerned that the same thing was going to happen to the teeth in his upper jaw.
He came to us about 12 months after the original denture had been fitted, with his dentist referring him for a free consultation in the hope that implants may help.
I sat down with him and we had a chat about the problems he was experiencing and the impact they were having on his confidence and comfort. After reviewing his history and understanding the difficulties he had, I carried out a thorough examination of Mr B’s mouth and talked through the possible treatment options with him. These included modifying the existing denture to try and improve the fit, making a new conventional denture, providing an implant supported denture with a few retaining elements or creating a fixed implant denture bridge.
I explained the pros and cons of each option, talked through costs, time frames and expected outcomes, as well as the possible risks and benefits of each choice.
Mr B decided he would like to go with the implant supported denture, which would be held in place by two implant retentive units. This type of implant is what we call our ‘entry level’ implant, offering the vast benefits of better fit and function but with only moderate expense.
Having made the decision, we went on to plan and discuss his course of treatment. The denture was created and he underwent surgery to have the implant denture fitted. Mr B had minimal discomfort, a smooth recovery and successful aftercare process. I’m delighted to say that his new implant supported denture was in place just four months after he began his treatment.
Mr B was ‘amazed’ at the difference he experienced between the original, loose fitting, painful denture and his new implant denture which was both more comfortable and stable. He told me he was ‘bowled over’ with the difference it made to his confidence. He now eats, speaks and smiles as he used to – and is even whistling again, as he did when he had healthy, natural teeth. We’re now talking about starting the same process for his upper jaw. It was a fantastic result and made a huge difference to someone who was starting to despair about their dental problems.
(For those interested in the technical bit, Mr B was provided with a mandibular full denture with integral chrome framework, retained by two locator attachments which are supported by two inter-foraminal Ankyloss 3.5 x 11mm implants.)
Why Audley?
Our state of the art practice is based in beautiful Stratton Audley, close to Bicester and a short drive from the M40. Our expert team of Dental Implant Surgeons, Registered Specialist Dentists and Dental Nurses and Hygienists have placed more than 4,000 implants so they really do know what they’re talking about.
Ready to find out more?
If you’re wondering whether dental implants could be something that would work for you then please get in touch. We’re happy to sit down and talk you through the available options. An initial consultation with our implant coordinator is completely free and you’re under no obligation to commit to a procedure.
You can call us on 01280 848945 or contact us via our website. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
