3 Ways Dental Implants Can Restore Lost Teeth

Dental implants can restore the look of your mouth if you have lost one or more teeth. Still the specific application of the implants is dependent on the number of teeth that you have missing and their location in your mouth. Here are several ways that dental implants can be used to restore lost teeth.

Single Tooth

If you have only lost a single tooth, your dental implant will be installed at the site of the missing tooth. The metal implant is surgically placed in the bone. Over the span of a few months, the implant connects with the bone as it heals in place. This fusion process, which is called osseointegration, keeps the implant securely in position and allows it to withstand the bite force associated with chewing and grinding food.

Multiple Teeth

If you have lost several teeth, but still have the majority of your teeth remaining in your palate, your dentist may suggest a dental bridge instead of several dental implants. The bridge is designed to replace multiple teeth at once.

A conventional dental bridge includes false teeth to replace the teeth that you have lost. Additionally, there are dental crowns that can attach to natural teeth or dental implants to hold the bridge in place. Thus, even if multiple teeth are missing, two dental implants can be used to secure the bridge firmly into place. The implant offers the same level of secure support as a natural tooth.

After the anchor implants are placed, your dentist will likely wait for them to properly heal before the bridge that holds the other implants is installed.

Palate of Teeth

If you are missing all of the teeth in your palate, a denture will likely be prescribed. However, dentures often present problems with stability. They can move about as you eat or speak if they are not properly affixed in the mouth.

Dental implants can be used to secure implant-supported dentures in place. These special dentures have a mechanism on their underside that attaches the appliance to dental implants.

Your dentist will determine the number of dental implants that need to be installed based on the nature of your denture or teeth-replacement device. Dentures may require four or more implants for proper support.

To learn more ways that dental implants can be used to replace lost teeth and to determine whether you are a good candidate to receive implants, schedule an appointment with a dentist like those at Alliance Family Dental.