Multiple Dental Implants
Patients who are missing multiple, or even all, of their teeth can have them restored with the use of dental implants and a prosthetic device such as a dental crown, bridge or denture. Having your roots rebuilt with implants provides a firm attachment, which is better for your bone health and the health of your remaining teeth. At United Smile Centres, we can review your mouth and discuss replacement options specific to you. Together, we can create a treatment plan that may involve replacement with dental implants.
A dental implant is not a replacement tooth, it is a post that we surgically place to be a replacement root. When a tooth is lost, so is the root, which is the connecting piece between the tooth and jawbone. By restoring this missing structure, we are able to reconnect these structures, providing a better, long lasting restoration.
The implant itself comes in a variety of lengths and widths depending on the work being completed. It is available in both titanium and a non-metal ceramic. The overall design is a cylindrical post which includes a threaded end that is sunk into the jawbone and a head that is used to attach the prosthetic. Once the post is in place, there are several options to restore teeth.
Options with Multiple Implants
Your dental implant is a firm post, depending on what is being done, we may need to place multiple posts to restore your teeth. With implants, we can:
| • |
Restore Teeth with Dental Crowns: You can choose to restore missing teeth with a single dental crown. This can be used for a single tooth, or replace multiple missing teeth with multiple crowns. A crown provides individual teeth that are independently fixed in place. They do not rely on neighboring teeth and they will help keep the bone healthy by providing the stimulation the bone needs at each location just like your natural teeth.
|
| • |
Restore Teeth with a Dental Bridge: A dental bridge can be used to replace multiple missing teeth with one device. For placement, it requires two points of anchor for support on either end. Traditionally, healthy teeth were the only option for anchors. Today, we can use any combination of healthy teeth or dental implants to provide the stability needed for a dental bridge. A dental bridge can be used to replace multiple missing teeth on the same arch.
|
| • |
Restore Teeth with a Denture: Dental implants can be used to stabilize a full arch denture. We have options that allow your denture to be firmly held in place yet still removable, and options that will permanently hold your denture firmly in place helping them feel much like your natural teeth. The bar retained denture uses implants to hold a bar device permanently in place which the denture can then be hooked on to for a firm hold and allow the denture to be unhooked when needed. The ball retained denture allows the denture device to be snapped on and off the implants, providing a firm denture that is still removable. Additionally, we offer the All-on-4® Treatment Concept which is a permanent, non-removable option for holding your denture in place. |
For more information on dental implants, and replacing multiple teeth, contact our Louisville office at (502) 899-3000. |
