When you’re missing a tooth, it feels like everyone is looking at you. No matter how it went missing, a lost tooth can cause you more than a little self-consciousness. So how do you find the best dental treatments for missing teeth. Check with your dentist. He or she has many options from which to choose.
One of the best dental treatments for missing teeth is implantation. Instead of a fixed bridge or removable dentures, a dental implant is a more secure and long-lasting solution. Both a bridge and dentures can weaken the teeth next to the loss and they can be a source of bacteria that can start the process of gum disease. They can even allow bone loss to occur. Because the bridge and dentures sit on the gums they can cause aesthetic problems and make you look older. Consider a dental implant.
Here’s how a dental implant works. An oral surgeon secures a titanium implant into the jawbone. A crown is placed on the piece that covers the titanium where is protrudes from the gums. The jawbone “fuses” around the implant and you have a permanent solution to your missing tooth. The implant can serve as the foundation for one tooth or they can be used to secure dentures. Unlike removable dentures, implants will stimulate the jawbone so that bone is not lost from lack of use. A dental implant looks like a natural tooth.
Most adults are candidates for dental implants while growing children are not. Here is some good news. If you lost your tooth or teeth due to gum disease you are still a candidate for dental implants. Do you suffer from bone loss? Your oral surgeon can graft bone to make the implant successful. The titanium post is assimilated into the bone so that a stable support is created. It’s a process that can take weeks but when it’s done you’ll have something that will last the rest of your life. Heavy smoking can be a problem because it interferes with the healing process that needs to happen during the dental implant.
The benefits of a dental implant include the natural look, ease of cleaning, and the fact that it acts like a natural tooth in preserving bone in the jaw. It may seem like a complicated procedure but the end results are well worth it. It is one of the best dental treatments for missing teeth. You’ll have a big smile when you see how well the implant worked!
Cosmetic dentists use treatments such as
teeth whitening and placement of
dental implants to improve your smile's appearance.
