For the longest time, dental bridges and dentures have been the go to methods for restoring missing teeth. This is quickly beginning to change, however, because patients are unsatisfied with the uncomfortable and aesthetically displeasing results each method delivers. These unfortunate facts have caused more and more of our patients to go with dental implants for their teeth restoration treatment. Dental implants provide beautiful replacement teeth that work and feel just like your natural teeth. And, dental implants can even be used to support other forms of teeth restoration, providing even more treatment options for our patients. Today, Dr. Keith Cooper is blogging from San Jose, CA to detail just some of the treatments available using dental implants.
Dental implants are fully capable of treating a large variety of different situations involving missing teeth. In fact, some of the restorations dental implants excel at include:
When restoring a single missing tooth, a single implant fixture is placed in the empty slot left by the missing tooth. During the recovery period, osseointegration occurs, which is the process of your implant fixture being accepted by your body as a natural part of your jaw structure. This is possible because dental implants are made from titanium, which the body doesn’t recognize as a foreign material. Once this process is complete, an abutment will be attached to your implant and the replacement tooth connected, completing the restoration.
When restoring multiple missing teeth, a single tooth restoration can be performed for each missing tooth. However, if you are suffering from multiple missing teeth that are all directly next to each other, an implant supported dental bridge may be a better option for your treatment. For this method, at least two implant fixtures are placed, one for the first tooth in the row and one for the last tooth in the row. More may be added to the middle of the row if you are missing enough teeth and extra support is needed. Once your implants have healed, an abutment will be attached to each fixture and the dental bridge attached, completing the restoration.
When missing every tooth in your arch, it is possible to perform a single tooth restoration for each and every tooth. However, this can be very expensive and an implant supported overdenture may be a better option. For this method, four to six implant fixtures are placed along your arch. Once they have properly healed, an abutment will be attached to each and the overdenture connected at each point, completing the restoration.
Whether you are suffering from a single missing tooth or a full arch of missing teeth, there is a treatment with dental implants for your needs. And, by working to support dental bridges and dentures, dental implants are capable of fitting into any budget. If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the treatments available using dental implants, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Keith Cooper today. We look forward to working with you soon!
Keith M. Cooper
5150 Graves Ave. Suite 12E
San Jose, CA
USA 95129
New Patients:
408-740-5317
Current Patients:
408-253-4150
Monday: 8AM – 5PM
Tuesday: 8AM – 5PM
Wednesday: 8AM – 5PM
Thursday: 8AM – 5PM
Friday: 8AM – 5PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed