Tooth loss can have a dramatic impact on your appearance, your dental health, and your overall quality of life. With one or more teeth missing, you may have difficulty biting and chewing, or enunciating your words clearly. Also, the risk of tooth decay, misalignment, and more increases for the teeth that remain.
Fixed Bridge
Replacing a lost tooth offers several benefits, not the least of which is a returned sense of confidence in your smile, but there is also a medical reason for replacing your missing teeth. The open space left after the tooth extraction can cause the remaining teeth teeth to drift. By restoring your bite, the bridge also allows you to properly chew your food and protects the adjacent teeth from damage.
For many patients, Dr. Blaylock may recommend replacing lost teeth with dental bridges. The fixed appliances are crafted from lifelike materials, such as porcelain or zirconia, to closely mimic the lost tooth. The replacement tooth, or pontic, is secured in place by equally-lifelike supportive dental crowns.
What Can You Expect
Before placing a dental bridge, your dentist will carefully examine your dental health to ensure that tooth decay, gum disease, or other issues are not present. If your teeth and gums are healthy, then your dentist will prepare for the procedure by taking precise measurements of your teeth, the empty space in your smile, and your surrounding oral structures. The measurements and images will be used to custom-craft your dental bridge.
Preparing for bridge placement requires slightly modifying the adjacent teeth, referred to as abutment teeth, to support the crowns at either end of the bridge. Once the crowns are attached to the abutment teeth, the bridge’s pontic will rest securely and comfortably in the empty space in your smile. For some patients, a bridge may be supported by a dental implant post, which is inserted into the jawbone to hold the replacement teeth in place. With the help of one or more implant posts, a dental bridge can replace your lost tooth/ teeth without relying on nearby abutment teeth for support.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are designed to replace the roots of your lost teeth and offer several benefits that are important to your overall oral health. Made from biocompatible titanium, dental implants become a part of your oral anatomy as your jawbone heals around and fuses to the titanium posts. Implants can be utilized to support a single dental crown, a larger bridge, or a complete denture, depending on your needs.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
The stability, comfort, and esthetic benefits of dental implants far surpass those of more conventional options. Some of the many advantages of dental implants include:
Dental implant posts rarely need to be replaced, and the crowns, bridge, or denture that they support can last more than 15 years with proper care at home and regular check ups at Shelby Dental.
Patients with dental implants report a significantly more natural and lifelike feel when biting, chewing, and speaking than those with removable or other fixed prosthesis.
Implants not only replace lost teeth, they help preserve the jawbone and oral structure surrounding them by replacing lost teeth roots.
Implants offer unmatched stability to your replacement teeth, and unlike traditional dentures, they will not become loose and shift around over time with proper home and dental office care.
By combining your prosthesis with dental implants, you can enjoy a renewed smile that looks, feels, and functions just like your healthy, natural teeth. Your dentist will take highly-detailed images and precise measurements of your mouth and send the details to a trusted laboratory, where a skilled technician will custom-craft your prosthesis.
Implant-Supported Crowns and Bridges
To replace a single lost tooth, your dentist can suggest supporting a lifelike dental crown on a single dental implant. For several lost teeth, you might benefit from a larger dental bridge supported on one or more dental implants. Implant post(s) will be surgically placed then allowed to heal for four to six months. After healing is completed, Dr. Blaylock can then secure your dental crown or bridge to the implants in our office.
Implant-Supported Denture
When a denture is first created, it is designed to fit comfortably and snugly on your dental ridge. However, when teeth are lost or extracted, your body registers the absence of your teeth’s roots, and the surrounding jawbone is resorbed. Over time, jawbone resorption will change the shape of your dental ridge, and your denture will gradually become loose.
As the years pass, a shrinking jawbone will result in a condition known as facial collapse, and your jawbone can lose enough density that it can no longer support your denture. By contrast, dental implants can reestablish stimulation in your jawbone to prevent resorption, offering better support for your denture as well as long-term benefits to your overall dental health and quality of life. To see if you may qualify for dental implants, call our office.
Removable Dentures
Losing an entire row of teeth can be devastating, but you can successfully recover with a custom-designed complete denture. Dentures are recommended for patients who have lost all their teeth on the upper and/ or lower dental ridges, and consist of a complete row of lifelike replacement teeth.
The teeth of a denture are arranged on a comfortable, gum-colored plastic base that adheres snugly to your dental ridge. In the case of upper dentures, the suction created by the shape of the root of your mouth helps ensure further stability. If necessary, your dentist may also recommend a safe but highly-effective dental adhesive to make sure your denture remains sturdily in place.
Removable Partial Dentures
There is no one-size-fits-all dental treatment, and given the uniqueness of your teeth, that is especially true when it comes to replacing them. Every tooth replacement procedure is tailored to your specific needs.
A partial denture is recommended when you’re missing several permanent teeth but still have healthy ones. Your prosthetic teeth are attached to a removable appliance. It is important to fill in your missing permanent teeth in order to maintain proper tooth alignment. Otherwise, your teeth will shift and could create further dental problems, including TMJ disorder or periodontal disease.
There are some cases where, instead of getting a partial denture, you may be a candidate for dental implants or a dental bridge. We can evaluate your case and help you determine the best solution for your needs.
Caring For Your Removable Prosthesis
It is important that you properly take care your prothesis by cleaning it with the appropriate cleaner. Most importantly, you should remove your prosthesis for at least six hours at a time to allow your gums to breath and regain blood flow. Patients can experience a type of yeast that form in the mouth due to partials not being taken out frequently enough or long enough. Avoiding this problem is very simple by taking your dentures at night while you sleep while allowing them to soak in water or a mild cleaning solution. Secondly, Do not brush your prosthesis with a regular toothbrush, but rather a soft denture brush to prevent scratching. Proper daily home care will ensure the integrity and keep bacterial growth to a minimum, further protecting your investment. To schedule a consultation about rebuilding some or all of your smile, call us today!