Flex Your Smile - Scott Goldberg, DMD -A Massachusetts Family and Cosmetic Dentist

Understanding Implant Dentistry

An excellent way to replace missing teeth.

The Problem:

• A missing tooth or teeth
• Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth shifting to fill the space
• The "sunken face" look associated with missing teeth
• Desire to improve chewing ability
• Desire for a more permanent solution than dentures

The Solution:

A dental implant is an appliance used to replace the roots of teeth. The implant is surgically attached to the jaw bone and an artificial tooth is attached to the top of the implant, creating a natural looking, undetectable replacement for the missing tooth. In the event that more than one tooth is missing, several implants may provide a base for a series of artificial teeth known as a fixed bridge. Implants can even be used to secure a full set of removable dentures for people who have no remaining natural teeth. This can greatly improve chewing ability and reduce the risk of choking.

It generally takes about six months for the surgical implant to heal before the final installation of the artificial tooth or teeth can be finished.

Advantages:

Dental implants with artificial teeth are the closest thing to regrowing your natural teeth. They are strong, stable, durable and virtually undetectable. By filling gaps left by missing teeth, implants can provide better chewing ability and head off jaw joint problems. They are far superior to removable dentures.

Disadvantages:

Dental implants are excellent, state-of-the-art restorations and have few disadvantages when compared to alternatives such as dentures. However, dental implants do require surgery and time to heal, and they are initially more expensive than dentures or fixed bridges. These disadvantages are offset by the ease of use, saved time and long term health benefits of implants.

Alternatives:

In some cases there may be inadequate bone to support an implant. In those instances, advanced surgery to restore bone may be necessary to allow use of implants. The alternative to using implants would be the use of removable dental appliances to restore function.

Implant Supported Bridges

Traditional Bridges:

A traditional bridge is an appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was.

The disadvantage of a traditional bridge is that the teeth on either side of the gap must be prepared for crowns. If those teeth are healthy, this procedure will require the destruction of several healthy teeth.

Bridges and Implants:

Fortunately, bridges can be attached to implants instead of the adjacent healthy teeth. This means that the dentist doesn't need to remove any healthy tooth tissue. It also allows the dentist to place a bridge in an area where a traditional bridge would likely fail.

The implants provide an anchor for the bridge, holding it in place by creating a false root.

Advantages:

Unlike dentures, a bridge bonded to implants is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that might otherwise be spent on future dental treatment.

Disadvantages:

Bridges fixed to implants are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear.

Alternatives:

The most common alternative treatments are a traditional fixed bridge or a removable partial denture.