When did you last go to the dentist? If you're anything like me, booking an appointment often falls to the bottom of your priorities list – not helped by the fact that it can be tricky to get an appointment in the first place, with recent stats showing that 5.6 million people are currently unable to get an appointment in the UK.
While it might seem of low importance to make regular dental appointments when there's so much other life admin to keep up with, for many patients, it leads to tooth loss, with dentist Dr. Gülay Akay urging people in midlife in particular not to delay dental appointments.
"Many people delay regular dental check-ups, often ignoring early problems until tooth loss occurs," she says. "Sadly, we're seeing more and more of this in British patients who are unable to access an NHS dentist because of the ongoing crisis."
Dr. Akay is the founder of dental chain Dentakay, with outposts in London and Turkey, and laments of her practice: "Many people we see have waited years without being able to get onto an NHS list and have lost teeth in the meantime. British patients with these sorts of problems now make up more than half of our clientele."
With over half of Dentakay's clients seeking treatment for tooth loss, it's clearly a growing issue – stats show that it's of particular concern to adults in their second act, with tooth loss typically starting in our late 40s to early 50s.
By the age of 50, approximately 25 per cent of adults have lost at least one permanent tooth, and by the age of 60, about 70 per cent of adults have lost at least one permanent tooth - yikes.
Dr. Akay says of midlife tooth loss: "We treat patients anywhere from 30 to 70, with the majority between the ages of 40 and 55. The most common reasons we treat patients with implants are advanced gum disease leading to tooth loss, failed restorations such as old fillings and crowns, failed root canals and tooth infections."
Here, Dr. Gülay Akay shares her advice for dealing with tooth loss.
Why are we losing more teeth?
"Barriers such as long waiting times, limited access to dental professionals and high treatment costs contribute to delayed care, ultimately increasing [lost teeth] and the need for implants," she begins, adding that teeth grinding is also a cause of tooth loss.
"Bruxism [teeth grinding] is a condition that affects both your teeth and jaw. If your bones are strong, it usually causes wear on the teeth. But if the bone is weak, your teeth can start to loosen, and over time, even fall out. This usually happens slowly over 10 to 15 years."
What can we do about lost teeth?
"Once a tooth is lost, dental implants become the most reliable and long-term solution," says Dr. Akay, who reassures that dental implants have come a long way since yesteryear.
"We're witnessing remarkable advancements in implant dentistry," he says. "Today, we can digitally calculate the ideal length and position of the implant and then apply that data directly in the patient's mouth.
"This makes the procedure minimally invasive, significantly reducing risks while increasing patient comfort and surgical precision.
"Additionally, the implant’s position is instantly transferred to the laboratory, allowing us to fabricate and place an immediate temporary crown on the same day.
"Another innovation is in digital impression techniques. For full-mouth cases, we capture an extremely accurate digital arch, which is sent directly to the lab. This process increases precision, enhances patient comfort, and allows us to complete the impression in a single session."
What is the tooth implant process?
"At Dentakay, the process usually begins at our London office. Here, patients receive comprehensive information about their treatment options in Turkey.
"Each patient is assigned a dedicated medical consultant, who requests an X-ray and prepares a treatment plan based on the radiograph.
"Once the patient agrees, they travel to our Istanbul clinic where the treatment begins immediately. On the first day, implant surgery is performed. By the second or third day, we place temporary fixed teeth using an immediate loading protocol. In just a few days, patients leave our clinic with a remarkable transformation.
"The London office acts as an information and coordination hub. Patients can learn about our clinics, doctors, and treatment approaches in full detail. Once they send their X-ray to our consultant, the medical team in Istanbul reviews it, prepares a plan, and if the patient approves, we schedule everything from flights to hotel and treatment sessions."
Take this as your sign to book a dental appointment - your smile will thank you!