It’s understandable that anyone opting for dental implants in Marylebone or indeed anywhere else in the country is going to feel somewhat anxious and a little nervous prior to their treatment and much of this is down to popular misconceptions that surround the industry. With this in mind, we felt that it would be a good idea to highlight some of these misconceptions so that people can have an informed opinion on the process.

Undergoing dental implant surgery is long and painful

Dental implant surgery can be relatively quick depending on the number of implants required and, contrary to popular belief, most people who undergo dental implant surgery feel no pain at all. Modern day dentistry is no longer about large needles and painful drilling. Instead carefully monitored and controlled sedation techniques keep the patient in a relaxed and care-free state, while most patients who undergo conscious sedation have no recollection of the surgery a all.

I’m over 70 years of age, therefore I’m way too old!

Some underlying factors will dictate that dental implants aren’t possible to fit, but these are more related to health. As a result the age of a patient is irrelevant. In fact many elder patients have told us how much they’ve benefited from having treatment for a dental implant in Marylebone and how much it’s changed their lives

It takes ages to recover from surgery

Another misconception is that the post-surgery recovery is both long and painful. Conversely, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like any surgery, there may be some slight bruising and swelling but this won’t be the case with everyone. Often if there is any pain, then it can easily be dealt with using standard pain killers such as aspirin and paracetamol. In many cases where the patient has undergone a straightforward implant procedure with no bone grafts or sinus lifts then they can return to normal within 1-2 days.

I smoke, therefore I can’t have dental implant treatment!

Smoking is indeed problematic for dental implants as it can slow down bone growth which is vital to implant success. In addition, substances carried in tobacco can also breed bacteria which may be harmful to dental implants. That said, smokers may still be able to undergo treatment for dental implants providing that they stop smoking for a period of a few days before surgery and during the recovery period. Generally speaking each patient’s case will be assessed on merit.

Dental implants last a lifetime

This is one misconception that you’ll probably have heard the most. Despite popular belief there are no guarantees that implants will last a lifetime. The simple reason for this is that there are just too many factors that can directly impact on implant longevity. That said, what we do know is that the very first implants were fitted to a Swedish man called Gösta Larsson back in 1965 and his implants were functioning perfectly right up until his death in 2006. That’s a total of 41 years.

If you have missing teeth or are simply fed up with wearing dentures, then contact LXiR about dental implants in Marylebone. We’re a Marylebone dental clinic who have been fitting implants with great success for many years. So if you want to discuss your options then why not book a free no-obligation consultation. Call us on 020 7486 1010 or visit our website at www.davidmadrugaimplants.co.uk for further information.