Without your natural teeth you may find
that there are many things you miss.
However, modern dentistry has come a
long way in recent years and there is no
need for you to continue living in
discomfort. With
dental implants
from us, you can have
replacement teeth that look, feel and
function like natural teeth. Teeth that
are comfortable and stay in place
allowing you to speak, smile and eat
with confidence.
Losing a crown means losing the visible
part of your tooth, however, if you lose
the root as well, you have lost the
unseen part of your tooth too.
The root anchors the tooth to your
jawbone, acting as a foundation for the
crown. Without the root, the bone around
the missing tooth will gradually recede
causing the remaining teeth to shift. If
this is allowed to continue chewing will
become more and more difficult.
The bone shrinks after tooth loss. This
causes the nerves to become exposed and
the dentures will lack support. Loose
fitting dentures can cause further
problems and lead to sore gum tissue and
additional pain.
A dental implant is made of titanium and
shaped like a screw. The dental implant
is placed into the jawbone and serves as
a secure root for the new tooth. Once
the dental implant is in place, several
different types of dental restorations,
such as crowns, bridges or dentures, can
be attached.
There are several situations where
dental implants may be considered.
(1)
Dental Implant replacement of a single
tooth.
The most
common method for replacing a single
missing tooth is with a fixed bridge
that is cemented to the teeth on either
side of a missing tooth. With all fixed
bridges the teeth adjacent to the space
must be reduced to properly hold the
bridge. The most conservative bridge is
a Resin-Bonded Bridge (RBB), sometimes
called a Maryland bridge. the
resin-Bonded Bridge offers the advantage
of minimal reduction of adjacent teeth
to support the missing tooth. this type
of bridge can only be used under certain
circumstances.
(2)
Dental Implant replacement of several
teeth.
When
two or three adjacent teeth are missing,
a bridge may be the treatment of choice
depending on the condition of the teeth
next to the space and the bone
supporting these teeth. The more missing
teeth to be replaced, the greater the
force that is placed on the remaining
teeth which support the artificial
teeth. In some cases, when there are not
enough teeth, a conventional bridge is
not possible and a removable partial
denture will have to be considered to
replace the missing teeth.
(3)
Dental Implant replacement of full upper
or lower jaw
A
complete denture rests on the gums. In
the upper jaw it also rests on the roof
of the mouth. In addition to chewing
forces being spread over a larger area,
forces that might tend to dislodge the
denture are offset by a suction which
forms between it and the roof of the
mouth. this suction helps to keep the
denture in place. Most people are able
to adapt reasonably well to an upper
complete denture. However, a lower
complete denture is considerably more
difficult to wear. The forces are
applied over a smaller area and due to
the movements of the tongue a suction
usually can not be developed.
The
constant pressure on the gums under the
dentures can cause slow changes in the
underlying bone which result in the
dentures losing their fit. For this
reason complete dentures should be
professionally examined at regular
intervals, and when the tissues show
sufficient change, the dentures should
be relined, rebased, or remade,
depending on the specific conditions.
When improperly fitted dentures continue
to be worn, the pressure may result in
excessive bone loss. Eventually, so much
bone loss can occur that a well fitting
complete denture can not longer be made.
Under these circumstances, implants may
be the treatment of choice.
