subject: Dental Implants Help Reduce Bone Loss [print this page] If you are missing a single tooth or multiple teeth, implants are available for restoring your smile. Dental implants offer stability because they are fused to your bone and also help your replacement teeth feel more natural. Many people also find the secure fit more comfortable than conventional substitutes.
Tooth loss can cause an indentation in the gums and jawbone where the tooth used to be. This happens because the jawbone recedes when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. Not only is this indentation unnatural looking, it also caused the replacement tooth to look too long compared to adjacent teeth. With dental implants you can preserve your facial structure and prevent bone loss, as well as stop bone loss that can lead to premature aging. With dental implants you can experience an improved quality of life, which allows you to speak and laugh naturally, and allows you to eat whatever you want, not what you have to.
Single, Multi and Full Mouth Implants
There are a variety of dental implants that can be used to replace single, multiple, or full mouth gaps from missing teeth. Dental implants can also be used in conjunction with crowns, bridges and dentures in replacing missing teeth. A single tooth implant with crown restoration is the best permanent solution that looks and functions just like a natural tooth. Single dental implants are done when one tooth is missing. Having a crown on an implant is similar to having crowns done over an existing tooth. A laboratory-milled abutment is screwed into the implant posts and acts as the "stump" that holds the crown.
When you have more than one missing tooth, multiple dental tooth implants are performed. If there are missing gaps together, dental implants accompanied by dental bridges may be done. If there are missing gaps in separate locations, then individual single tooth implants with a dental crown or a combination of implants with crowns and dental bridges may be used in replacing the gaps.
Full mouth dental implantation is performed in cases where patients have no existing teeth left or for cases where the removal of all existing teeth is needed. A combination of full arch dental implants may be performed in reconstructing both arches. This allows patients to have a new set of teeth, ultimately improving their quality of life.
Dental Implants vs. Crowns, Bridges and Full or Partial Dentures
Traditional treatment options for tooth replacement, crown and bridge and full or partial dentures, address the short-term cosmetic problem of missing teeth, but do nothing to stop bone loss. Crowns and bridges require that two or more healthy teeth be ground down to serve as abutments (posts) for a bridge, leaving them at a much greater risk for cavities and endodontic failure. If the original abutment teeth fail, more healthy teeth must be used to serve as posts, while you continue to lost bone beneath the bridge.
With implants, however, the healthy teeth are left alone. Dental implants, like natural teeth, also transmit chewing forces to the jawbone, which reduces bone loss. This is why many leading dental organizations now recognize dental implants as the standard care for tooth replacement.
If you are missing a tooth or multiple teeth, talk to your dentist in Greenville about whether dental implants are an appropriate solution for regaining your smile. Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants. Like any restoration, implants require diligent oral hygiene and proper care to ensure they last a long time.
