If you are missing one or more teeth in your mouth, you may be considering dental implants as a means of restoring your missing teeth. This tooth restoration option has a number of benefits and is becoming an increasingly popular choice for adults of all ages who need to restore beauty and function to their mouths after losing teeth.
Dental Implants After Losing Teeth
One of the biggest benefits of opting for dental implants is that the implant helps to maintain bone strength in the jaw. While this might not seem like something you need to worry about, the fact is that once a tooth is no longer anchored into the jawbone in a particular location, the bone in that area no longer has a job to do. Over time, this can lead to atrophy of the bone, resulting in bone loss and weakening of the bone structure. By replacing the root of a natural tooth with a dental implant, the bone still maintains its needed function, which in turn maintains bone strength.
So, assuming you have already recognized the benefits of having your dentist place an implant into your jawbone, what then? The implant itself is simply a small titanium rod that serves as the base of another type of tooth restoration option, securing it in the mouth much in the same way that a tooth’s root secures a natural tooth to the jawbone. Once the titanium rod has been implanted and has been given time to adequately heal, you then may have options as to how you will cover the exposed implant.
If you only have a single missing tooth, then the answer to what you’ll have your dentist place over the implant is relatively simple. A single tooth restoration calls for a dental crown to be fabricated and securely fastened to the implant to replace the missing tooth.
However, if you have more than one tooth that needs to be replaced, there is no need to a have an implant placed in the space where every missing tooth resides. If the spaces are located adjacent to one another, you may be able to choose between having an implant-supported dental bridge or implant-supported dentures. The choice between the two will depend in part on how large the span of gumline is that needs to be covered as well as if there are any healthy, strong teeth located adjacent to where the tooth restoration will be placed.
A bridge is generally an option if you have more than a single tooth that requires replacement but not a large span of teeth. In this case, a crown can be affixed to the titanium rod of the implant to serve as the base of the bridge in order to support the pontic in the adjacent space.
If, on the other hand, you have multiple teeth that require replacement but do not want a removable apparatus, then well positioned implants can serve to permanently secure a full or partial denture in the mouth so that it replaces multiple teeth while remaining securely anchored.
If you have missing teeth and are considering dental implants, it’s important to talk to your dentist about the options available to you to restore your missing teeth.
For more information about tooth restoration options involving dental implants, contact Park Dental Care in Queens at 718-274-1515.
