How Dental Implants Treat Tooth Loss
Whether you have a single lost tooth, or you’re missing all of your natural teeth, we can use dental implants to offer a full and functional smile. These not only look good, but can last for decades to come. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about how we use implant dentistry to treat tooth loss.
The Implant and Restoration
Let’s talk about what makes up your dental implant. The implant portion is a screw-like post made from titanium. Since titanium is biocompatible, this means the body accepts it as natural bone structure. The post will then bond with the jawbone through osseointegration, so it acts like a new root can offer the potential to stay in place for decades to come. We insert it at specific positions and angles to ensure success, and this prevents the breakdown in the jaw that usually follows tooth loss, so your prosthetic can truly last. Next is the abutment, which is connected to the post and extends above the gum line. The restoration is the visible part people see, which could be in the form of a crown or a prosthetic.
Minor Tooth Loss
We can address minor tooth loss to prevent misalignment and additional missing teeth. For an individual one, we can insert the post and attach the abutment, before connecting a crown to it. The lifelike and custom-made dental crown will be able to handle daily bite forces and pressure, and offer a natural appearance too. If you have two to four missing teeth in a row, we could insert one or two posts to secure a bridge. The bridge contains new teeth and crowns attached to each end. We connect them to the posts and this offers a full and complete smile. While traditional bridges last about 10 years, these can last decades.
Full and Partial Dentures
If you have tooth loss too severe for a bridge, or if you’re missing most or all of your teeth, we could use several posts to secure a denture. This will mean the dentist isn’t removable, so no need for soaking and cleaning. It will never skip when you eat and drink, and while removable dentures need replacement about once every five years, these can last for decades or possibly a lifetime. Again, we take care to ensure the prosthetic is custom-made and lifelike in appearance.
Ready for a New Smile?
We want to make sure you always have a full, functional, and beautiful smile. If you have any questions about treating missing teeth, or if you would like to schedule a consultation today, please contact Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327.