What Are My Options For Dental Implants?

Today, dental implants are your best option for long-lasting teeth replacement. They are artificial tooth roots attached to your jaw bone to hold replacement teeth. They are the most efficient solution for those who have suffered tooth loss brought about by disease, injury, or some other cause.

Single Tooth

This is basically an implant fitted with a crown used to restore a missing tooth. The procedure is typically completed over multiple visits.

  • The first visit normally involves consultation and planning. It includes the initial exam, imaging of your teeth, a discussion of your dental and medical history, as well as the available treatment options.
  • The second visit is the placement of the actual implant with or without a built-in connector or abutment to which the replacement tooth will later be attached. While your dental implant integrates with your bone, a temporary tooth may be placed. Patients usually have no trouble returning to work the following day. Pain medication may be prescribed in case of discomfort.
  • Depending on whether an abutment was already attached to your implant, your next visit could either involve the placement of the abutment or the placement of the replacement tooth, typically a custom-made crown.

Multiple Teeth

This involves using dental implants with a fixed bridge or with individual crowns. This solution gives you the most natural fit and feel as well as normal functionality. No other treatment can achieve the same. Like a single tooth dental implant, implants to restore multiple teeth take several visits to complete. The steps are the same, except for the number of teeth involved.

All Teeth

This treatment provides a complete replacement of your upper or lower teeth, also referred to as arch. The steps are the same as those of the other dental implant options discussed, although additional connecting devices may also be placed to help attach the replacement teeth to the implants. Individual crowns, an implant-supported fixed bridge, or an implant-supported overdenture may be used as replacement teeth.

Bone augmentation

Bone augmentation is the process of rebuilding bone and restoring the natural jaw line, which provides a strong foundation for dental implants. There are people who don’t have sufficient healthy natural bone to hold implant-supported teeth, hence the need for bone augmentation. This can be caused by gum disease, tooth development defects, long-term use of dentures, facial injury or trauma, spaces left by missing teeth, and dental procedures that affected the natural bone. The following are some of the common techniques used to augment bone:

  • Bone graft – This involves taking your own natural bone from another location and then using it to add bone to your jaw.
  • Sinus lift – This procedure adds bone below the sinus for the purpose of dental implant placement.
  • Ridge expansion – This adds bone graft material to a small ridge along the top of the jaw.

Alternative Techniques

There are alternative and minimally invasive methods for placing dental implants, such as the following:

Immediate Load Dental Implants – Implants and crowns are placed on the same day.

  • Mini Dental Implants – These are smaller and narrower implants.
  • All-on-4 – Four implants are used to stabilize a full arch or fixed replacement teeth.

Know more about the best dental implants for you. Call or visit our Abilene, TX clinic today.

 

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