Ways Dental Implants Are Used to Replace Lost Teeth
A dental implant can be used to help solve multiple tooth-replacement needs. Many people only think of a dental implant as a replacement for a single lost tooth. However, there are multiple ways that dental implants can be used to aid in the restoration of lost teeth. Here are a few of these ways.
Support for a Fixed Bridge
A fixed dental bridge is a tooth-replacement option that is secured in the mouth by one or more bridge crowns. A traditional bridge includes one or more replacement teeth in the middle of the appliance with a dental crown on each side. The crowns are bonded to dental implants or natural teeth that border the space left by the lost tooth or teeth.
The dental implant provides the same degree of stability as a natural tooth since it is embedded in the jawbone. After the placement of the metal implant in the bone, the implant fuses with the jawbone during the wound-healing process. This fusion secures the implant firmly in the bone as a natural tooth root would be stabilized.
In addition to traditional bridges, cantilever bridges, which are secured by a single bridge crown, can also be held in place by a dental implant.
Support for Dentures
Dentures can sometimes slip or move about as a person eats, laughs, or speaks. A full denture is designed to be held in place by the natural suction formed from the contours of the mouth. However, this suction may not provide enough firm stability. Thus, many denture wearers prefer implant-supported dentures. A full denture can be fitted with a mechanism that attaches it to underlying dental implants for stability, but the implant connection is not permanent. It can be released and reattached at will.
Partial dentures, which are used to replace multiple missing teeth, can also be secured to dental implants.
Dental Implants for Multiple Teeth
The use of implants is not limited to a single dental tooth per patient. Thus, you can have multiple teeth replaced with dental implants. Each restoration would include the attachment of an abutment and a dental crown to ensure that the chewing ability and appearance of the implant teeth are optimized. Each of the dental implants would need to heal properly before receiving large amounts of bite pressure.
To learn more about dental implants and their uses, schedule an appointment with an implant dentist in your area.
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