When you have lost one or more teeth, or even suffered from total tooth loss, you need a dental prosthetic. Instead of traditional bridges and removable dentures, we can offer a more lifelike option with dental implants. In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about securing full smiles with dental implants, so you can smile with confidence again!
The Impact of Missing Teeth
Our teeth could be lost due to an untreated cavity or infection, or even due to an injury to the face or jaw. The most common cause of adult tooth loss is actually periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. When we lose teeth, this empty space could allow nearby teeth to drift, leading to misalignment and worsening oral health. Missing teeth also impact how we eat and even the clarity of our speech. But our body, in response to the missing root, will suspend the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue begins to break down, a complication linked to an older appearance and additional missing teeth. But with dental implants, we can help prevent these complications and preserve your smile!
Planning Your Tooth Replacement
To get started, our team will take a close look at your smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras. We also look at your dental history and will ask you about your oral hygiene routine. With this information, we can assess the cause of your teeth and plan treatment to offer a full smile again. Sometimes, this could involve the treatment of underlying issues like periodontal disease, so you don’t develop implant failure. We may also need to strengthen portions of your jawbone that have weakened with a grafting procedure or a sinus lift. The information enables us to choose the best angle, position, and depth to insert your new roots too.
Dental Sedation
The placement process requires oral surgery, as we need to insert these biocompatible titanium roots into the jawbone, where they are accepted as natural tooth structure. We want to ensure your placement process is a comfortable and positive one, even if you have dental anxiety or special needs. We can administer a local anesthesia to the area to numb it, and also discuss sedation. With dental sedation, we provide medications to help you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation, often with little to no memory of the procedure. We will recommend an option based on your age, weight, and medical history.
The Placement Of Dental Implants
Once you are comfortable, our team will move forward with the placement of your dental implant. With digital technology, we will guide the implant post into the jawbone, where it will act as a new base to support your replacement tooth. Once the area heals, we can attach an abutment to it that extends above the gum line. We then connect a crown, one custom-made for your smile, to complete it. The crown can absorb daily bite forces and pressures, and also be dashed to blend with your smile. With proper care and attention, your new teeth can last for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime!
Securing Fixed Dentures
What if you have severe tooth loss, losing most or all of your teeth? We could insert multiple dental implants into each arch, and sometimes in the same visit, attach a denture or a set of new teeth. You now have a full smile that never slips when you eat or speak, and doesn’t require removal for cleaning and soaking. While removable dentures need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years, these can stay in place for decades to come, looking and acting like natural teeth.
Don’t live with tooth loss and risk further negative changes to your smile and quality of life. Instead, talk to our team about addressing your missing teeth with dental implants, whether you have one missing tooth or need replacement for all of them. If you have any questions about addressing tooth loss or about dental implants in particular, then contact our team today to learn more. You deserve a full smile, and we have the skills and materials to make it possible!
Ready for a Complete Smile Again?
The team at Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury in MA is ready to take on your tooth loss with advanced technology and biocompatible materials. Whether you have minor or severe tooth loss, we have implant dentistry to offer lifelike and long-lasting results for adults and seniors. To schedule an appointment with us, call our office today at 508-842-8838.
