Dental Implant Solutions for a Missing Tooth
Missing a tooth can be very frustrating. Aside from the embarrassment of the missing tooth showing in your smile you may also experience difficulty chewing. These are common reasons that people replace missing teeth with dental implants but there are other significant reasons to seek rapid replacement of missing teeth.
Teeth support each other like stones in an arch. When a tooth is lost it is not uncommon for the arch form of your teeth to collapse. Teeth adjacent to the space may tip over. Teeth above or below the space may continue to erupt into the space. This is called supraeruption. Often braces are required to reposition these teeth before an implant can be placed. In the worst case scenario, the tipped or supraerupted tooth must be extracted. Quickly replacing missing teeth can prevent the need for these extra procedures, saving you time and money.
Bone loss is another major concern after tooth loss. It is common to lose both bone height and width after a tooth is lost. You may even lose bone surrounding the teeth adjacent to the space resulting in further tooth loss. Although this bone can often be replaced with bone grafting, the procedures can be costly and uncomfortable. Rapidly replacing missing teeth can prevent this.
Lastly, missing teeth and bone structure may result in unwanted changes to your appearance. Your lips can lose support and your cheeks may sink in. Both situations can make a person appear older and may result in wrinkles.
What types of dental implant restorations are there?
Dental implant restorations are available in a variety of types and materials. The type and material of the implant restoration recommended will depend on your unique situation. If you are missing just a single tooth, then a single-tooth implant with a crown could work for you. If you are missing multiple teeth, then a dental bridge might be the right solution. For those that are missing all their teeth, all-on-4 and snap-on dentures are options. A “combo” solution that combines a dental bridge and one or two single implants can provide you with a full-mouth smile again and may be the way to go if you still have most of your teeth and healthy bone structure. The following are a couple of examples of solutions based on the number of missing teeth.
Missing a Single Tooth
The most likely solution for replacing a missing single tooth, whether it is a molar or one of your front teeth, is with a single implant. A single implant is a stand-alone post screwed into your bone and used to replace a missing tooth’s root. A porcelain crown is then attached to the implant. The crown can be shaded to blend in with the surrounding teeth. Since an implant does not rely on any of the surrounding teeth for support, your remaining teeth will be unaffected. Replacing a missing tooth with a single implant can help with chewing food, smiling, speaking, and stopping your teeth from shifting.
Missing Multiple Teeth
A dental implant-supported bridge can be used when you are missing multiple teeth right next to each other. With an implant-supported bridge Instead of replacing each missing tooth with a standalone implant, a minimum number of strategically placed implants can be used to support the bridges and bridge the gap between several missing teeth. Unlike traditional bridges, implant-supported bridges do not require the support of the teeth next to them. The bridge can be shaded to blend in with the surrounding teeth. Replacing multiple teeth with an implant-supported bridge can help with chewing food, smiling, speaking, and stopping your teeth from shifting.
Missing All Teeth
A full arch prosthetic is required when you are missing all your teeth. Full arch prosthetics come in two main types (implant supported dentures & all-on-4) and are constructed from various materials with different strengths and benefits. The number of implants needed for these options varies due to several factors, including how much bone is available. For more information on each option, check out our All-on-4 and Snap-on Denture pages.
Implant Supported Dentures
With implant-supported dentures, several implants will retain a denture making it more stable. You will find it easier to eat and to feel more confident than with a traditional denture. You will lessen the number of denture sores you develop, and your fear of your dentures falling out will be a thing of the past!
Lower dentures can often be stabilized with just 2 implants, though additional implants can be added for more stability. In some cases, your existing denture can be converted to fit the new implants.
Upper dentures require at least 4 implants to retain them because the upper bone is less dense. Your denture will still cover the roof of your mouth for support when biting, but we can usually remove about 1 centimeter from the palate of the denture and reduce the size of the flanges (extensions) by your lips to increase comfort.
Lastly, implant supported dentures help you avoid unwanted changes to your appearance due to missing teeth and bone structure. Your new denture can take years off of your appearance and can keep you looking and feeling young!
All-on-4 / Full Mouth Dental Implants
Once the implants have been placed and healed (osseointegration), small connectors called abutments are attached to the implants. The final all-on-4 implant is then fabricated and secured to the abutments with screws. This type of prosthesis is much smaller than a denture, but as it is fixed in place and can only be removed by a dentist .
All-on-4 dental implants look and function like real teeth – although they can feel bulkier than natural teeth. They are more comfortable and stable than conventional dentures, thus allowing you to retain a more natural biting and chewing capacity. You brush and floss around it similar to natural teeth. It is stable, so you can eat your favorite foods and no one will know that it’s not your natural teeth!
