When you have a problem to fix, you really want a solution that is not going to have to be fixed itself later on. Finding permanent solutions is pretty much impossible. However, finding one that has you thinking ‘job done’ when it’s sorted, rather than ‘job done for a few years, and then I’ll have to do it again’, is what most of us are after.

Whether it’s fixing the gaps in the roof, or the gaps in your teeth, a permanent solution is always going to be preferable to a temporary one. That’s why thatch went out of favour, and why dental implants are fast becoming the preferred way to replace missing teeth.

You see, dentures and bridges might be great for a few years, but they wear out and have to be replaced, usually somewhere between every 5–10 years. Unless you are in your early 80s, or want to live fast and die young, then dental implants could well end up being comparable in price to dentures and bridges.

The success rate of dental implants is very high at about 98%, and, as long as you take good care of them with twice-daily, diligent flossing and brushing to prevent plaque, they should last you for the rest of your life.

This is a good choice if you are fairly young and an accident, grinding, decay or infection have caused you to lose a tooth or two. You only need one implant to support up to three crowns in a row. You can expect it to still be going strong 30 or 40 years later, when you turn up at the pearly gates with your pearly whites in place.

As dental implants in Hammersmith from us at Kings Dental Clinic replace the root of the tooth, you also get to hang onto your magnificent jaw. You may not know that losing teeth leads to losing your jawbone, but, sadly, it’s true. Implants stimulate the jawbone cells to renew themselves. With neither tooth root nor implant, the jawbone thinks it’s no longer in use and dissolves itself. With implants, you get to eat whatever you fancy and stay younger-looking longer.