When you lose a tooth, or possibly several, then this impacts how you eat and speak, and could lead to issues with your overall facial structure too. But when you replace lost teeth with dental implants, this could prevent these major complications. In today’s blog, your Conroe, TX, dentist looks at several different dental implant options, and how we can improve your smile!
Examining Your Smile
We first take a close look at your smile with digital x-rays. We want to assess the severity of your tooth loss, and also understand the underlying factors. Some issues, like periodontal disease, need to be properly managed before we move forward with dental implant placement. We also need to make sure your jaw is strong enough to support dental implants. Essentially. These new teeth are composed of three main parts. The post is made from biocompatible titanium, and the body accepts this as natural tooth structure. Next is the abutment, which connects to the post and extends above the gum line. Finally, the crown/prosthetic, the part people see when you smile, and the part that allows you to eat your favorite foods again.
Grafting and Sinus Lifts
When we lose teeth, the body stops sending calcium and phosphate to the jaw around the missing root. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue breaks down and causes an aged appearance, and could mean you simply don’t have enough structure to support a new tooth. However, our team could provide jawbone grafting and sinus lifts to rebuild what has been lost. With grafting, we add new tissues taken from your jaw or hip, or from donor or synthetic sources, and rebuild the weakened portions. This provides a matrix for new bone tissue to grow around, so you can support new teeth. Once they are in place, the body will see them as new roots and resume the flow of calcium and phosphates, so you can enjoy replacement that lasts for decades to come, maybe even a lifetime!
Individual Options
If you have an individual missing tooth, then we can insert one post into the jaw, and once the area heals after a few weeks or months, we will connect an abutment to the post and attach the crown. The crown has been custom-made to ensure not only a balanced bite and a comfortable fit, but also a lifelike appearance. We color-match them to blend with the rest of your smile seamlessly!
Fixed Bridges
A traditional dental bridge involves removing structure for the abutment teeth on each side of the gap, and then creating a bridge that consists of new teeth with crowns on one or both sides. We then connect the crowns to the abutment teeth. With dental implants, we instead insert one or two posts into the smile and connect the crown portion to them. This preserves natural tooth structure, and provides a bridge that can last for decades instead of just 10 to 15 years. Of course, we take steps to ensure the finished product looks natural and blends with your tooth. This can address between two and four missing teeth in a row on average.
Implant Partials
What if you have multiple missing teeth, but this consists of several gaps spread out across the arch of your smile. At this stage, individual ones and bridges are not enough. You need a partial, which has new teeth designed to fit in these gaps and protect your smile. The denture portion is custom-made to ensure the new teeth look natural. We then set these in a base that looks like gum tissues. Removable options are held in place with metal clasps that attach to natural teeth, and they last about 5 to 10 years on average. But with these fixed posts, we can secure one that lasts for decades to come, and never needs to be removed for cleaning, and never slips during meals or speech either.
Fixed Dentures
Our team can also secure a full set of dentures! These replace every tooth on one or both arches, and securing them with dental implants ensures they’re fixed in place and function like natural teeth. If you have any questions about these options, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Replacing Missing Teeth?
We want to make sure you can smile with confidence and enjoy optimal oral health and function again. To learn more, then please contact The Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX by calling 936-441-4600 and schedule your next appointment with our team today.