When you lose a tooth it usually is best for your oral health to have it replaced.
Missing teeth
compromise your “bite” and decrease your ability to chew properly.
Missing a tooth, or several teeth, can also increase the burden on your
remaining teeth. Depending on the location in your mouth, a missing
tooth can also have a very negative impact on your smile and appearance.
Fortunately, missing a tooth is not a life-threatening process and you
have time to consider what replacement option is best for you.
At your consultation appointment we will closely
examine the area, explain all your replacement options, make
recommendations, and most importantly, answer all your questions. It is
extremely important to us that you are well informed and that you
understand all your options.
What Are My Tooth Replacement Options?
If you are missing one or more teeth and choose to have them replaced, there are several treatment options available to you:
"Flipper"
A “flipper” is a removable plastic tooth
device. It is fragile and is meant only to last for a short period of
time. Flippers are usually only worn by patients on a temporary basis
for esthetic purposes while they are waiting for more definitive and
permanent treatment.
Cast Partial
A cast partial denture is also a removable device.
It is precision cast in metal for increased strength and longer service.
Wire clasps are commonly used to hold it in place. These wire clasps
are frequently visible when you smile and unfortunately will also
commonly damage the remaining supporting teeth.
Fixed Bridge
A fixed bridge is cemented into place using crowns or
“caps” on the teeth adjacent to the open space for support. Crown
placement usually requires removing or reducing the outer layer of the
adjacent teeth. Fixed bridges have been made by dentists for their
patients for decades. Unfortunately, bridges have many significant
disadvantages:
- The average “lifetime” of a bridge is 12 years,
meaning that most bridges will need to be replaced every 12 years.
Frequently, replacing a bridge means making it longer because the
original supporting teeth are no longer useful.
- Bridges are very difficult to clean under, which
results in decay of the teeth supporting the bridge. Often, patients are
not aware of the decay until it is too late.
- Teeth do not like to be “drilled (whittled) down”. A
full 10% of teeth supporting a bridge will have to under go root canal
treatment sometime in the future. Root canal treated teeth are prone to
fracture, which further contributes to the early demise of a fixed
bridge.
Full dentures or “plates” are the traditional solution
for people who have lost all their teeth in one or both jaws. The
success and fit of a full denture depends upon the patient’s jaw shape
and size, their oral habits, and their adaptability. Some people adapt
well to their dentures, while other patients are not able to adapt at
all.
Dental Implants
Dental implants can be used to provide support for the
replacement of one tooth or all the teeth. After years of research and
clinical trials, we can now provide this option, in addition to the
traditional treatments listed above. Implant supported teeth and
dentures are often a wonderful option. Implant supported teeth and
dentures can be made attractive, stable, and comfortable for many
patients.
Are Dental Implants An Option For Me?
Dental implants are changing the way people live. They
are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look,
feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth
regains the ability to eat virtually anything they want and allows them
to once again smile with confidence.
If you are considering dental implants,
we will examine your mouth and oral structures thoroughly. We will
review your dental and medical history to ensure that dental implants
are appropriate for you. And we will evaluate your jawbones with
sophisticated digital x-rays to determine if you are a good candidate
for dental implants.
Dental Implants
When you lose a tooth it usually is best for your oral health to have it replaced.
Missing teeth
compromise your “bite” and decrease your ability to chew properly.
Missing a tooth, or several teeth, can also increase the burden on your
remaining teeth. Depending on the location in your mouth, a missing
tooth can also have a very negative impact on your smile and appearance.
Fortunately, missing a tooth is not a life-threatening process and you
have time to consider what replacement option is best for you.
At your consultation appointment we will closely
examine the area, explain all your replacement options, make
recommendations, and most importantly, answer all your questions. It is
extremely important to us that you are well informed and that you
understand all your options.
What Are My Tooth Replacement Options?
If you are missing one or more teeth and choose to have them replaced, there are several treatment options available to you:
"Flipper"
A “flipper” is a removable plastic tooth
device. It is fragile and is meant only to last for a short period of
time. Flippers are usually only worn by patients on a temporary basis
for esthetic purposes while they are waiting for more definitive and
permanent treatment.
Cast Partial
A cast partial denture is also a removable device.
It is precision cast in metal for increased strength and longer service.
Wire clasps are commonly used to hold it in place. These wire clasps
are frequently visible when you smile and unfortunately will also
commonly damage the remaining supporting teeth.
Fixed Bridge
A fixed bridge is cemented into place using crowns or
“caps” on the teeth adjacent to the open space for support. Crown
placement usually requires removing or reducing the outer layer of the
adjacent teeth. Fixed bridges have been made by dentists for their
patients for decades. Unfortunately, bridges have many significant
disadvantages:
- The average “lifetime” of a bridge is 12 years,
meaning that most bridges will need to be replaced every 12 years.
Frequently, replacing a bridge means making it longer because the
original supporting teeth are no longer useful.
- Bridges are very difficult to clean under, which
results in decay of the teeth supporting the bridge. Often, patients are
not aware of the decay until it is too late.
- Teeth do not like to be “drilled (whittled) down”. A
full 10% of teeth supporting a bridge will have to under go root canal
treatment sometime in the future. Root canal treated teeth are prone to
fracture, which further contributes to the early demise of a fixed
bridge.
Full dentures or “plates” are the traditional solution
for people who have lost all their teeth in one or both jaws. The
success and fit of a full denture depends upon the patient’s jaw shape
and size, their oral habits, and their adaptability. Some people adapt
well to their dentures, while other patients are not able to adapt at
all.
Dental Implants
Dental implants can be used to provide support for the
replacement of one tooth or all the teeth. After years of research and
clinical trials, we can now provide this option, in addition to the
traditional treatments listed above. Implant supported teeth and
dentures are often a wonderful option. Implant supported teeth and
dentures can be made attractive, stable, and comfortable for many
patients.
Are Dental Implants An Option For Me?
Dental implants are changing the way people live. They
are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look,
feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth
regains the ability to eat virtually anything they want and allows them
to once again smile with confidence.
If you are considering dental implants,
we will examine your mouth and oral structures thoroughly. We will
review your dental and medical history to ensure that dental implants
are appropriate for you. And we will evaluate your jawbones with
sophisticated digital x-rays to determine if you are a good candidate
for dental implants.
Exactly What Is A Dental Implant?
The best way to explain a dental implant is to compare
it to a natural tooth. A natural tooth consists of a root and a crown.
The part of the tooth you see and eat with is called the crown. Beneath
the crown is the root. The root of the tooth anchors the tooth through
the gum tissue to the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the
root and the crown. To replace a tooth, we first have to replace the
root. A dental implant is essentially a new root. This specialized
titanium root (implant) is fitted into a socket that we create in your
jaw, replacing the lost root of your natural tooth.
Once an implant has been placed in the jaw, the bone
around the implant will fuse, or integrate, to the implant. The process
of integration typically takes from 2 to 4 months depending upon the
quantity and quality of the jawbone. Once the implant has integrated
(fused) to the jaw bone, a support post, called a final abutment, will
be placed into the implant itself. The abutment actually protrudes up
through the gum tissue and serves as a post to which a new crown can be
cemented. If all your teeth are missing, a variety of treatment options
are available to support and greatly increase the stability, strength,
and retention of your dentures.
Dentist has lectured both nationally and internationally on implant designs and
techniques. He is constantly updating his knowledge through
continuation courses so that he can provide the very best in dental
implant therapy to his patients.
How Are Implants Placed?
The office procedure to place a dental implant usually
takes about an hour for one implant and no more than two or three hours
for multiple implants. The placement process consists of the following
steps:
- For the patient’s comfort, we normally recommend IV
sedation during the procedure. Once you are sedated, a local anesthetic
is administered to numb the area where the implant is to be placed.
Then an incision is made into the gum tissue and the
gum tissue is reflected back to reveal the underlying bone.
- Using specialized instruments, a socket is then carefully created within the jaw bone.
- The titanium implant is then inserted into the socket within the jawbone.
- A healing abutment, or healing cap, is placed onto
the implant after it is inserted into the bone. The gum tissue is then
brought around the healing abutment and held in place with dissolvable
sutures.
Once the implant has integrated, an impression is made
of the implant by the restorative dentist and a final abutment and
crown is fabricated. The healing abutment is removed for the last time;
the final abutment is placed into the implant, and the crown (tooth) is
cemented to the final abutment.
Missing Tooth
Healing Cap
Final Abutment
Final Crown
Two to four months is typically the amount of time
required for the implant to integrate to the jawbone. We will follow you
closely during this time. Once we have determined that the implant has
healed to your jaw, the final abutment and crown will be made by your
restorative dentist.
Dental implant therapy can vary
greatly from patient to patient. It certainly is not a “one size fits
all” form of treatment. That is why clinical expertise and judgment are
so critical to implant success. Dentist has the clinical experience and academic background to assure that your implant restoration is highly successful. Dentist
will present and discuss with you in great detail all your treatment
options, the individual steps along the way, and the expected outcome.
We promise to work closely with your restorative dentist and most
importantly, as a team; we will make sure that all your implant
questions have been answered prior to proceeding with treatment.
As
long as there is still viable nerve or pulp tissue in the nerve
chamber, the infection can be removed with a laser, and the tissue can
be encouraged to re-grow, and replace the removed dead and infected
tissue using biocompatible, healing compounds. This procedure, known as
the Laser Nerve Treatment, keeps the tooth alive and its blood
and lymphatic circulation intact, which is important for the tissue
surrounding the tooth and for providing continued immunity. 
This Root Calcification Therapy is in some ways similar to standard root canal therapy, with some notable exceptions:
Finally,
an inlay or onlay is perfectly fitted to the missing tooth tissue, then
laser-bonded to the tooth so that it is restored to its original
strength and appearance.
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