Replacing Missing Teeth

Your teeth affect your whole body. When they’re healthy, you’re healthier too. A missing tooth can affect your bite, speech and eating choices. As you rely more on your remaining teeth, you increase the chance they will wear out prematurely, or be damaged or lost. You may also experience headaches and/or jaw pain.

Who would want their appearance and health to deteriorate? That’s the natural consequence of missing teeth – the jaw literally melts away. Generally, people will lose 25% of their supporting jawbone structure within the first year after tooth loss. This is variable from person to person and can be determined using CT scan 3D imaging. Dental implants are more easily placed when teeth are first extracted because bone replacement becomes more complex as time passes. The great news? Implants act just like your natural teeth. They safeguard and preserve your bone structure, oral health and appearance. Your dentist and the implant surgeon will provide you with options so that you can make the most informed decision concerning tooth replacement.

Tooth Replacement Options

You can select from a number of different options to replace your missing teeth – from temporary to long-lasting solutions.
A good candidate is anyone missing one or more teeth, or who is unhappy with their dentures. Age is not a factor. However, smoking, diseases such as diabetes, and radiation therapy to the area, have been shown to slightly lower the success rate of implant placement. X-rays of your jaw will be taken to evaluate whether they will accommodate implants. Our doctors utilize the most up to date 3-D CT scan technology to accomplish this.

Fixed Bridge

A fixed bridge is a connected set of replacement teeth. For support, it is cemented into position on top of the teeth adjacent to the empty space. The protective outer layer of these teeth is usually removed or ground down prior to attaching the bridge. This is the major disadvantage to choosing this option for tooth replacement. A fixed bridge also presents a potential hygiene challenge for the patient and due to this failure is often due to decay of the supporting teeth with time.

Flipper

A fragile, temporary and inexpensive solution is a removable plastic tooth with a plastic retainer, often called a “flipper”. This is purely intended for looks and would, in fact, likely break if you try to chew with it.

Metal Partial

A less fragile option is a removable partial denture cast in metal and plastic. It is held in place by wire clips. A removable partial denture can be removed and reinserted when required by the patient. This type of restoration is intended to replace lost chewing function.

Denture

The most common solution, for people missing all teeth in one or both jaws are complete dentures. Some people adapt well to dentures. Others find them uncomfortable, even intolerable, because of differences in jaw size and shape. This is especially true for lower dentures, which are known to very commonly have a very loose fit. This can make eating very difficult and oftentimes uncomfortable.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are the most comfortable and permanent solution. They form a strong foundation for teeth and keep the jaw healthy and strong. Implants support individual replacement teeth or secure specialized dentures in place. Unlike bridges, no healthy teeth are damaged. Unlike most bridges, implants can last a lifetime. Implant-supported replacement teeth can be attractive, stable, and comfortable for almost any patient.

Why Select Dental Implants Over More Traditional Types Of Restorations?

There are several reasons: A dental bridge can sacrifice the structure of surrounding good teeth to bridge the space of the missing tooth/teeth. In addition, removing a denture or a “partial” at night may be inconvenient, not to mention dentures that slip can be uncomfortable and rather embarrassing.
Lewisburg TN • Mt. Pleasant TN • Lawrenceburg TN • Pulaski TN • Spring Hill TN
Hohenwald TN

Hunter Oral & Implant Surgery, PLLC • Address: 1324 Trotwood Ave, Suite 3 Columbia TN 38401 • Phone: 931-381-0340Fax: 931-388-2818
Hunter Oral & Implant Surgery, PLLC • Address: 500 East Gaines Street Lawrenceburg TN 38464 • Phone: 931-381-0340Fax: 931-388-2818
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