When you have missing teeth, our team can employ dental implants to replace what has been lost. Whether you have one lost tooth, or suffer from total edentulism, we can help restore your smile. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral and maxillofacial surgeons look at our approach to implant dentistry.
The Dangers of Tooth Loss
Missing teeth can cause embarrassment, and even limit your willingness to engage in social interactions, which impacts your overall quality of life. But beyond appearance, these can also cause the jawbone to lose mass and density, which means a breakdown linked to further tooth loss and a prematurely aged appearance. You could also have issues eating your favorite foods or speaking clearly, and your smile could be more likely to develop issues like tooth decay, gum disease, TMJ disorder, and even bruxism (teeth grinding). Addressing your missing teeth with dental implants helps fill the gap in your smile to keep many of these concerns at bay. At the same time, they can protect your facial structure and help prevent further tooth loss!
Why Do We Lose Teeth?
Our natural teeth could become lost due to concerns like tooth decay and infection, which unless treated in time, could cause the teeth to be lost or require extraction to protect the rest of the smile. An injury could be responsible too. But the most common cause is the advanced stage of gum disease, known as periodontitis. This stage severs the tissues connecting your teeth and gums, leading to adult tooth loss. As part of your treatment, we will assess the cause of your tooth loss and if necessary, treat any underlying oral health concerns to prevent implant failure and keep your smile whole.
Dental Implants
Each dental implant is made of three parts. The new root portion is a post that is screw-like in appearance and made from titanium. The titanium material we use is biocompatible and accepted by the body as natural bone structure. We insert these directly into the jaw and the right angles and positions to support a new tooth and stimulate the growth of jawbone tissue, preventing the loss of mass and density linked to additional missing teeth and an older appearance. Next, we connect an abutment to the post, a portion of structure that extends above the gum line. The last part is a crown, one custom-made to fit comfortably and keep your bite properly balanced. We shade them to blend with the smile so they look lifelike. We attach this to the abutment. You now have a complete tooth, one that looks and acts like a natural one.
Straumann® Materials
What makes them so durable and lifelike? Well, we have the strong and durable materials we use to thank. We employ Straumann® dental implants to address our patients’’ tooth loss. These materials are designed to provide high quality tooth replacement, with the ability to handle daily bite forces and pressures while staying firm and stimulating the growth of jawbone structure. At the same time, these materials are also cost effective, so replacing missing teeth with a durable and lifelike option isn’t beyond the reach of our patients.
All-On-Four
What if you have lost most or all of your teeth? In these situations, we can actually secure a set of dentures that are fixed in place. While there is often a healing period between the insertion of the post and the attachment of the abutment and restoration, with All-On-Four we can secure implant dentures in only one visit, so you leave with a full smile. To begin, we will extract the last few teeth and take detailed images of your smile, which we use to plan the placement of four implant posts per arch. These are designed to stimulate jawbone structure and keep the denture in place for decades to come. We then connect the abutment and attach a finished denture, one custom-made to ensure a lifelike appearance and a comfortable fit. No need to remove them for cleaning or soaking, and they last far longer than traditional removal dentures.
If you have any questions about how we use implant dentistry to address tooth loss and preserve your smile and facial structure, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Replacing Missing Teeth?
Don’t live with tooth loss and a poor quality of life, talk to our team about possible solutions. If you would like to learn more about securing lifelike and long-lasting tooth replacement, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
