Are Dental Implants the Best Way to Replace Missing Teeth?

Your teeth are vital to your survival and happiness. Thus, the absence of even one digit alters the way you live your life. Now you have to be more concerned with the foods you eat, your speech is altered, and you don’t possess the same confidence that you used to have. Thankfully, with the help of a local dentist, you can be fully restored, but there are a few options for you to consider. As you read on, you’ll learn what is the best route for you to take!

What is a Dental Crown Used for?

If you have a single missing tooth, a crown replacement can be used to restore your function and look. Your dentist will affix a tooth-colored, porcelain crown to the two teeth surrounding the vacated space using dental-grade cement.

How to Replace Two or More Missing Teeth

For two or more consecutively missing teeth, your dentist can place a bridge, which is a single apparatus that consists of several porcelain crowns that are enjoined.  Just as a bridge spans an open area to connect two disconnected land masses, the same happens in your mouth.

Like a crown restoration, the bridge rests above the gums and is held in place by attaching to the surrounding teeth, which act as abutments (anchors).

How to Replace a Full Arch of Teeth

If you are missing a full arch or an entire set of teeth, traditional dentures can be used. The prosthetic consists of tooth-colored, porcelain teeth that rest on a gum-colored, resin base. The dentures are held in place with dental adhesive.

Dental Implants – In a Class of Their Own

When it comes to replacing your teeth, no other procedure compares to the dental implant process. That’s because it’s the only procedure that addresses the problem of your missing teeth at the root level.

Your dentist will surgically insert the titanium post under the gumline and into the jawbone. Over time, through a process called osseointegration, the implant will fuse with the same to form a strong and lasting foundation. Then either a crown, bridge or dentures can be added to the implant to form a more functional and aesthetically-pleasing restoration.

What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

As mentioned above, the dental implant restores the stability that your teeth roots naturally provide, but here are some other benefits of having dental implants placed:

• Better-Looking Smile – Because the implant attaches at the root level, it leaves you with a more natural-looking smile.
• More Functional Teeth – The stability provided by dental implants also makes for more functional teeth. Thus, you’ll have the ability to eat a wide array of foods and speak as clearly as you would with your original digits.
• Greater Ability to Taste Foods – One of the drawbacks of dentures is that they cover the palate, which lessens your ability to taste food. Because implant-supported dentures don’t rely on suction to hold them in place, there is nothing covering your palate, which allows you to taste the full flavor profiles of the foods you eat.
• Bone Loss Prevention – The most important benefit of dental implants is they prevent the bone degeneration that eventually comes when there is prolonged tooth loss. The gentle pressure applied by your teeth roots to the jawbone trigger the continuous production of new bone cells. When you have missing teeth, the signal isn’t sent. Having a dental implant placed restores one of your body’s natural ways of communicating.

To Learn More, Do This

To get more information about having your teeth replaced with dental implants, contact your implant expert to schedule a consultation. While there, you’ll undergo a thorough examination to make sure you’re eligible for the procedure.

With your dental implant and restoration, you’ll once again be able to lead a rich and fulfilling life, so reach out to your dentist today!

About the Author

A native Houstonian, Dr. Darrick Castleberry is a graduate of the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. He then completed his General Practice Residency while serving his country in the United States Navy. Dr. Castleberry has also received extensive training in dental implantology from the prestigious Misch Implant Institute and has gained Fellowship status in The International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He replaces missing teeth with dental implants at the Castleberry Center, and he can be reached for more information through his website.