If you have had enough of your dentures having a life of their own in your mouth, then now might be the time to consider having denture stabilisation treatment with dental implants.

At Polwarth Dental Clinic in Edinburgh, dental implants are an increasingly popular way to solve the problems caused by loose-fitting dentures, so that you can once again enjoy eating without fear of losing your teeth, or your speech not being so clear.

Dental implants stabilise dentures by giving them a secure base rooted in the jawbone, just like natural teeth have. However, with denture stabilisation, you do not need to have every single tooth root and crown replaced. Instead, in Edinburgh, dental implants, usually four of them, are strategically placed within the lower jawbone.

You can have the implants inserted under local anaesthetic, and, if you have a nervous patient, you can also have sedation. The dentist opens up the gum and drills a hole for each implant. They will start off with a small drill and increase its circumference to widen the hole without cracking the surrounding bone.

Once the hole is made, the implant is inserted and a temporary cap placed over it to protect it. You go away for several weeks while the titanium implant fuses with new bone growth in your jaw.

When you come back, we re-open your gum and insert an abutment into each implant. Then we attach a bar across the implants. This gives the base onto which your dentures will sit. Tiny but strong magnets in your dentures will keep them securely attached to the bar running between your implants.

As you can see it is all very simple, but you need to be aware that this process can take up to a year. The most important prerequisite for treatment is a strong, healthy jawbone. And if yours has lost size and density, which happens when we lose our teeth, then you may need to undergo some preparatory bone work, such as a bone graft to build up your jawbone and make it strong enough to receive the implants.

When you come to us for an initial consultation, we will make a thorough examination of your jawbone to see if it needs rebuilding before we begin implant treatment. We will also be able to discuss in detail any other concerns you may have, as well as talk you through the process more thoroughly.