These days, dental implants are one of the most popular ways to replace missing teeth. Chipping Norton Dental Implant Centre in Oxfordshire offers a number of implant-based solutions to tooth loss, designed to give you permanent new teeth.

Of course, choosing dental implants is a big decision, but we believe that it is an investment in your future as well as in the way that your smile looks. We have gathered some common questions about dental implants below. If there’s anything else you want to know, please get in touch with a member of our Oxfordshire dental implants team.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants replace the roots of one or more lost natural teeth. Your Oxfordshire dentist will place them directly in your jaw bone during minor oral surgery, and they will immediately start to integrate with your jaw bone. Once this period of integration is complete, your dentist can attach a permanent bridge, crown, or denture on top.

Oral surgery? That sounds painful. . .

Minor discomfort is to be expected after any type of surgery. However, the placement of dental implants itself won’t be painful. You can have treatment under either local anaesthetic or conscious sedation at our Oxfordshire dental practice. Any post-operative discomfort will last just a few days and can be adequately managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Ice packs or bags of frozen peas wrapped in a towel and held against the cheek over the affected area can help with any swelling or bruising.

My dentures used to fit but now they’re loose – will the same thing happen with my dental implants?

No. As well as holding your new teeth in place, dental implants keep your jaw bone healthy and dense. It is a shrinking jaw bone that leads to a change in the fit of your dentures, so if the bone remains healthy there will be no loose teeth to worry about.

What if I’ve already lost bone density?

Our Oxfordshire dental practice offers both bone grafting and ridge expansion procedures for patients with low bone density.