When you’re missing some of your teeth, either due to poor dental health or trauma, and you wish to restore your smile, dental implant restoration is the perfect solution. This procedure is available whether you’re only missing one tooth or multiple teeth. There are many different ways dental implant restoration and bring back your old smile and you should discuss with your dentist which option is best one for you.
What are the most common causes of tooth loss?
Loosing baby teeth is a natural and celebrated event. On the other hand, when we loose one or more of our permanent teeth, it’s a sign of trouble. We can lose our permanent teeth due to cosmetic or health reasons. Even though they are durable and can withstand a lot of wear and tear, there’s only so much they can handle. Eventually they can get damaged or fall out. And let’s not forget accidents or mishaps that can knock out a tooth.
Having poor oral hygiene can also be one of the reasons why our teeth fall out. When you don’t brush your teeth regularly (at least twice a day), the build up plaque can cause a series of health problems such as cavities, gum disease and tooth decay. And usually, when one tooth falls out, the others can also be prone to falling out since they lose their support and become loose.
Dental implant restoration – The traditional way
The traditional way of doing dental implant restoration involves a titanium post, an abutment and a natural looking dental crown. The post, which very much resembles a screw, is placed deep in the jawbone so for this procedure, the patient needs to have a strong jawbone. Then the abutment is attached to the post and the dental crown goes on top of the abutment. This is a bit outdated procedure since it takes a long time to do dental implant restoration this way (a few months). Why so long? The main reason why this approach takes a lot of time because the titanium post must fuse with the bone in your jaw.
Restoration done through implant-supported dentures
Another way you can have dental implant restoration is through implant-supported dentures. This represents a combination of two tooth replacement methods – implants and dentures. They are both viable replacement methods.
With this combination, there’s also an added advantage. Regular dentures tend to slip and fall out when you eat or speak (they aren’t fixed onto anything). And of course, when they are not fixed, they can rub against your gums, causing irritation. But with this method, the dentures rest on dental implants, they are secure and much more comfortable.
Dental implant restoration through a bridge
Let’s say that you’re only missing one tooth that you would like to replace. The best way to do this is through a dental bridge. Dental implant restoration done through traditional dental bridges involves placing a dental crown on teeth adjacent to the gap.
But with an implant-supported bridge, you dentist will replace a missing tooth with an implant, called the pontic, instead of a dental crown. This is a much more viable and durable solution than just regular dental bridges. It’s more secure and you can resume your everyday chewing/drinking activities and have your old smile back.
If you have gaps in your teeth because you lost one or a few, you there are various ways you can restore your natural smile. Dental implant restoration might be one of them. Contact our dental experts at Premiere Family Dental and see which option is ideal for
