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Single missing tooth.
There are several treatment options for replacing missing teeth, including tooth-supported bridges, partials, dentures, and dental implant-supported replacement teeth. Dental implants are standard of care and are considered the preferred option for replacing teeth due to the unique benefits of preserving both the bone and the surrounding teeth.
Some of the advantages of dental implants compared to other treatment options include:
- Implant crowns look, feel and function like natural teeth.
- Dental implants prevent bone resorption/deterioration.
- There is no need to cut down the adjacent teeth to replace one tooth.
- Dental implants have a much better long-term success rate.
- Dental implants restore the appearance of a natural-looking smile.
- An implant crown is much easier to clean than a traditional bridge.
- Implant replacement teeth are more stable than partials and dentures.
- Natural biting and chewing capacity is restored with dental implants.
- The discomfort of traditional dentures is eliminated with dental implants.
Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or all of the teeth.
Replacing a Single Missing Tooth
Whether you are facing impending tooth loss, or already missing a tooth, the ideal treatment option is an implant-supported crown. This will provide the most natural tooth replacement possible, with the best long-term esthetics and the best long-term success. This will also provide you with the most cost effective solution.
Adjacent teeth must be cut down to support a bridge.
An implant-supported crown replaces the tooth root and preserves bone.
Replacing Multiple Missing Teeth
If you have a few or several missing teeth, multiple implant crowns or an implant-supported bridge would be the optimal treatment plan for several reasons, not the least of which is that you will be maintaining bone and facial structures. You will not have to suffer with a removable partial denture, which is usually uncomfortable and unstable. Partials also accelerate bone resorption and deterioration. The long-term success rates are much higher than partial dentures or traditional bridges.
Partials accelerate the bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.
Replacing teeth with implant-supported bridges provides function and esthetics similar to natural teeth.
Complete Tooth Replacement
Dental implants have transformed the lives of countless patients who were missing all of their teeth in the upper or lower jaw. In fact, dental implants were originally designed specifically to address the problems patients have wearing dentures, especially the problems associated with significant bone loss and facial structure collapse over time.
Dentures have significant disadvantages, including:
- Dentures are uncomfortable and often painful.
- Dentures do not look natural, especially when eating.
- Speaking with dentures is sometimes difficult and often sounds unnatural.
- As the bone continues to melt away, dentures become loose and can fall out when laughing, sneezing, or coughing without adhesives.
- People with dentures visibly age much faster than people with natural teeth.
- Dentures do not allow people to eat certain foods, such as steak or apples.
Simple implant retained dentures utilize a minimum number of implant support the dentures to provide stability and comfort.
Implant bar-supported dentures use more implants and metal bars to provide even greater stability to the dentures.
Dental bridges supported by implants provides function and aesthetics similar to natural teeth. They cannot, however, be removed like dentures.
All-on-4® Alternative
The All-on-4® treatment concept was developed to provide a solution for complete tooth replacement that can be completed in a shorter period of time than other treatment options, utilizing fewer implants. However, this treatment option is not necessarily the best solution for every situation. Many patients need the stability and security provided by more than 4 implants per arch.
Dr. Korb and Dr. Taylor recommend a procedure that still allows patients to have complete tooth replacement in in a shorter period of time than traditional implant treatment options, but with the long-term stability of additional implants to support the new set of teeth.
Patients begin the process with a comprehensive exam, including a 3D image of their teeth and jaws, which is used for treatment planning and to create a set of temporary replacement teeth. On the day of surgery, the temporary set of replacement teeth is attached to the dental implants immediately after the implant placement surgery. The final set of replacement teeth are placed at a later date, once the dental implants have fully integrated with the jawbone.
We encourage patients who are interested in All-on-4® to explore all of their treatment options with their general dentist or Prosthodontist, and schedule a consultation with one of our surgeons to determine the best treatment option for their individual needs.
