When asked what makes a smile unattractive, people’s number one response is “missing teeth.” Your missing teeth are on display whenever you talk or smile, making you uncomfortable and, worse, your missing teeth can cause serious health problems. Missing teeth create gaps that can be hard to clean, leading to gum disease, which can threaten adjacent teeth. The space created by a missing tooth can cause other teeth to drift and grow crooked. A missing tooth can also contribute to jaw bone decay and gum collapse. To remedy all these consequences of missing teeth, dental implants can be recommended.
When teeth are lost, sometimes the bone around them is lost as well. If so this may need to be built back if implants are to be placed. There are various types of bone augmentation that may be required in different situations, and if you need one of these we will explain to you why and how this is carried out. Not everyone needs this as part of their treatment, in fact most implant treatments don’t, but where there is a lack of bone all of our surgeons are extremely well-trained for this type of specialized procedure.