People often do not anticipate the way tooth loss can impact their life. It affects appearance, pronunciation, chewing, and compromises the health of the jaw bone. When faced with missing teeth, the dentist typically provides several options, and depending on your unique circumstances, you can select a restoration best suited to your individual needs.
Smiles Restored with Dental Implants
The most popular tooth replacement today is a restoration supported by dental implants. Although they require surgery for their placement, they offer incomparable function and life-like beauty. Dental implants provide the replacement of not just a tooth, but the tooth root as well. Normal chewing can resume with this permanent prosthetic, and the jaw bone remains strong.
How Dental Implants are Placed
Dental implants are titanium posts strategically placed in the jaw to give support to a beautiful, restorative crown. They can be used for one tooth, a row of teeth or a full arch of teeth.
The posts fuse to the bone through a process called osseointegration. Titanium is used for hip and other replacements because it is biocompatible with the human body. Then a lustrous crown is attached to the implant post with an abutment. A healing time of about 3 months allows the post to securely anchor into the jaw bone.
Health Benefits to Jaw Bone of Dental Implants
An overlooked issue of those missing teeth is the effect tooth loss has on their jaw bone and other teeth. Almost immediately after a tooth is lost, a process called bone resorption begins. Without the stimulation of tooth roots, the bone begins to become porous and shrink. This impacts a person’s facial structure, giving them an aged and sunken appearance to the mouth. Bone resorption can also threaten the health of neighboring teeth, as teeth begin to shift out of alignment and become less stable.
Fixed Bridges, Dentures, and Partial Dentures to Replace Missing Teeth
Some people may not be eligible for dental implants, and there are several ways they can restore function and beauty to their smiles.
Fixed bridges are permanent prosthetics used to replace one or more missing teeth. To make a fixed bridge, first, crowns are placed on the teeth that will be anchoring the replacement crowns; anchoring teeth are called abutments. Then, an impression is taken of the abutment teeth, so a lab can design replacement crowns that match in color and form to neighboring teeth. Fixed bridges restore function and provide an appealing restoration
Partial Dentures are removable, acrylic prosthetics that are secured onto the gums using adhesive paste, or they are attached to adjacent teeth with metal clasps. Patients can participate in designing the shade and shape of these prosthetics, and they restore much of the function of natural teeth. They provide an aesthetic that is natural, and they can be fabricated within a couple of weeks’ time.
Dr. Scala in Lakewood Ranch for Beautiful and Healthy Restorations
If you are faced with tooth loss, and want to be educated on possible solutions, give Lakewood Ranch Family and Cosmetic Dentistry a call. Dr. Scala helps patients understand their options, and he offers professional advice.