There are several reasons why someone may lose one or more of their teeth, such as injury, decay, and cavities. Regardless of the underlying cause, losing teeth may impact the patient’s ability to chew and talk properly and affect their smile aesthetics. If you are not ready for those flimsy dentures and want a more permanent solution, you may want to discuss dental implants with your dentist in Cotswold, Charlotte, NC. Before you go for the procedure, here are some quick nuggets for your help.
What are dental implants?
When you lose a tooth, you lose the entire structure above and below the gums. Once the tooth is removed, the socket is empty, and with dentures, you only replace the upper part of the tooth that is visible to the eyes. Extracting a tooth causes a rapid decline in bone mass, which may lead to shifting of the adjacent teeth. With a dental implant, you resolve all of these concerns together. An implant is like a replacement root, which is placed inside or above the jawbone and is also called a post. There is an abutment that is screwed to the implant and works as a base for the restoration.
Getting replacement teeth with implants
Before your dentist even considers dental implants, they will do a complete oral exam and use advanced diagnostic tools, such as CBCT scanners, to get digital images of your mouth. They will then discuss how many implants you may need, depending on the number of teeth you have lost and the position of each. As for the restoration or replacement of teeth, there are three options –
- The first one is a dental crown, which works like a cap and can be immensely useful for replacing one missing tooth. Crowns are customized for each patient to get the desired shape, size, and color. In the final stages of the treatment, it is fixed to the implant using the abutment.
- The second option is a dental bridge, which helps replace one or more missing teeth in a row. The bridge will have two crowns on both ends, while the prosthetic teeth lie in between. Like crowns, bridges are custom-made in a lab and fixed to implants.
- The last one is implant-supported dentures, which are similar to regular dentures, except for the fact these replacement teeth will not move around or slip. Depending on the number of teeth you are missing, you can get either partial or full dentures. Today, dentists can replace all teeth of a patient using just four dental implants – two placed on each jaw.
Should you consider dental implants?
There are several benefits of dental implants. Firstly, dental implants become a part of the mouth and don’t need replacement. If you don’t want to worry about losing bone mass, this is the best option. You don’t need specialized care for dental implants, and as long as you brush and floss regularly, you can expect the results to last for a lifetime. Of course, the restorative options, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures, may need replacement after a decade or so. One of the other reasons why many dentists recommend dental implants is improved functionality. Immediately after you get your replacement teeth, you will experience a difference in how you chew, bite, and talk. The treatment is your best shot at getting back your natural smile and look.
Keep in mind that getting dental implants is a lengthy procedure, and if you wait for too long to get an implant after having a tooth removed, you may need additional procedures, such as bone grafting. Talk to your dentist in Cotswold, Charlotte, to know more about dental implants, along with the pros and cons.
