Dental implants are the fastest growing area of dentistry today. When teeth are missing or have to be removed the best replacement dental implant supported artificial teeth. Anchoring the replacement in this way has many advantages:
* There’s nothing “moving about” when you chew so no need for fixative.
* You can bite and chew food just as well as with your natural teeth and
so eat comfortably again.
* You can enjoy socialising and eating out again without embarassment
and eat foods you’ve avoided for years.
* You can have natural looking teeth and the smile you’ve always wanted.
* No need for a plate to cover the roof of your mouth.
* The restorations last longer than anything else conventional dentistry
offers.
* Implants stop your bone from shrinking and your face from changing
shape, so reducing the ‘aging’ effect from tooth loss.
* Implants are easier to look after than conventional bridges or dentures.
Below are images of a patient with facial collapse due to tooth loss and the restoration of facial structure with dental implants in place.
Shortage of Facilities
Dental implant treatment is not routine dentistry and very few practices are able to offer this type of treatment. There is no single reason for this but the most common is that the number of patients seeking implant treatment in an established practice is too small to justify the investment in the required technology, together with the considerable surgical and prosthetic training that is required. This is changing as more and more people are demanding dental implant treatment.
Sustainable Systems
If embarking on implant treatment it is essential to use a tried and tested system that you can be confident will still be available in 10 – 20 years, and for which spare parts are readily available (maintenenance will always be required at some point).
Where Can You get Implant Treatment in Edinburgh?
The Edinburgh Dental Specialists have been at the forefront of providing implant treatment in the last twelve years. With five prosthodontists and two oral surgeons (including a Professor of Maxillo-Facial surgery) their collective experience amounts to over 100 years.
Prosthodontists, oral surgeons and periodontists working together are the experts in providing dental implant treatment. While one person could provide all the skills necessary for implant treatment, using a team of specialists means that you benefit from the highest level of skill and knowledge at each stage of treatment.
Edinburgh Dental Specialists have, for the last five years, been running a postgraduate teaching programme to help local practitioners to help them introduce this type of treatment to their practices. There remains however the need for a centre to which patients requesting this type of treatment can be referred or for more challenging cases requiring specialist care.
It is on that basis that EDS established their referral system and started accepting referrals over twelve years ago. They currently have over 400 practitioners referring patientsfor dental implants.
EDS can provide a service at whatever level is required by your referring practitioner:
* Surgery only
* Fabrication of the final restoration
* Full treatment (surgery & delivery of
restoration)
* CT scans
* Help and advice on planning
Throughout treatment referring practitioners are kept fully informed on how their patients treatment is proceeding. On completion, patients are returned to their general practitioners care with the relevant advice on home and surgery maintenance being sent in advance.
For information on EDS’ dental crowns and porcelain veneers, click here.
