The best solution to replace missing teeth is dental implants. Dental Implants can simulate the look, feel, and function of natural teeth. Implants can help preserve the health of neighboring teeth, maintain bone structure, contribute to an improved ability to chew, and provide patients with the confidence to smile.
Single Dental Implant
Dental implants are small anchors made of a biocompatible metal called titanium that are placed in the jawbone to replace missing teeth in the mouth. After placement, the anchors will begin to fuse with the bone over the course of a few months. After the fusing process, known as osseointegration, abutment posts are inserted into the anchors to allow for the permanent attachment of the replacement teeth.
Implant Supported Bridges
An implant supported bridge is a restorative solution for spaces where three or more adjacent teeth are missing. This restoration typically requires two implants to support the bridge that provides a functional and aesthetic replacement for a patient’s natural teeth.
What are the advantages of an implant supported bridge?
Because of the natural look, feel and the functional stability provided by the implants, implant supported bridges are an effective solution to replace multiple missing teeth.
A traditional bridge uses teeth on either side of the missing tooth space for support. The process to prepare the adjacent teeth and the support of the bridge can weaken those adjacent teeth over time. Because these teeth serve as attachments, they are subject to additional forces that can damage the healthy teeth and compromise both teeth and bone tissues.
A dental implant supported bridge replaces missing teeth by using two or more dental implants rather than the adjacent teeth. These implants avoid putting any additional stress on your natural teeth and helps preserve the health and function of the surrounding bone tissue and teeth.
Fully Edentulous (Toothless) Solutions
For patients missing many or all of their teeth, implant retained or implant supported dentures may be an alternative to traditional dentures. These solutions can simulate the look and feel of natural teeth and stay fixed in place with the implants acting as anchors. Using implants for retention or the support of dentures allows for a smaller and more comfortable base and less shifting of the prosthesis during use.
Implant Supported Dentures
An implant supported denture requires the placement of four to six dental implants as “anchors” to provide a sturdier fit and minimal mobility for your denture. With implant supported dentures, there is no plate covering the roof of the mouth, so speaking and eating are more natural and comfortable than with traditional dentures. For qualifying patients, our doctors may be able to complete the removal of all teeth and the placement of a temporary arch on the same day.
Implant Retained Dentures
Available for full or partial dentures, implant retained dentures require the placement of two or more dental implants to secure the dentures in the mouth. This type of denture will “snap” onto the implants and can be removed for cleaning at night.
Guided Dental Implant Placement
3D technology allows our doctors to more accurately place dental implants using minimally invasive techniques that improve patient comfort and healing while maintaining the highest standard of treatment and restoring your smile.
The 3D digital guidance provided by this specialized software helps our team plan the implant placement procedure. It also allows the patient to visualize the implant’s future location and its support for the final restoration. Once planning is complete, our team uses this 3D-guided implant technology to create a customized surgical guide that provides greater precision and accuracy during implant placement.
Zygoma Implants
Zygomatic Implants offer a solution to patients who would like traditional dental implants but do not have the bone in the upper jaw to support those implants. When the upper jawbone has severe atrophy or bone volume loss, the upper jaw is unable to retain dental implants that can support dentures or bridges. In cases where there is extreme bone loss, bone grafting is always a possibility, but the downside is prolonged treatment time to heal from bone grafting. It is possible to bypass the extended treatment time by placing Zygoma implants. Zygoma implants are placed in the Zygomatic bone or cheek bone because the bone is much denser than the jawbone. Often, because the cheek bone quality is so good, immediate placement of dentures or bridges is possible.