Individual Teeth

If you are missing teeth, did you know that you are losing bone?

Losing one of more of your teeth starts a chain of events that can have dire physical and cosmetic consequences. The most obvious result is a gap in your smile. Less obvious is the loss of chewing function and the inability to eat a complete diet that can result from it. While these are certainly serious issues, a potentially bigger problem lies hidden beneath the surface: bone loss.

Without the tooth to stimulate the jaw, the bone beneath it will begin to disappear (atrophy) in the same manner that muscle underneath a cast gets smaller. Since your facial bone supports the skin and muscles on top of it, losing volume can cause your face to look prematurely aged. The good news is that dental implants offer a solutions to stop bone loss.

Tooth replacement options.

Conventional treatment options for tooth replacement, Crown & Bridge and full or partial dentures, address the short-term cosmetic problem of the missing teeth, but do nothing to stop the bone loss. Crown & Bridge also requires that two or more healthy teeth be ground down to serve as abutments (anchors) for a bridge, leaving them at a much greater risk for cavities and endodontic failure. If the original abutment teeth fail, more healthy teeth must be sacrificed to serve as anchors, while you continue to lose bone beneath the bridge.

However, with implants, the healthy teeth are left alone. Plus, dental implants, like natural teeth, transmit chewing forces to the jaw, stimulating it and halting the bone loss. This is why many leading dental organizations now recognize dental implants as the standard of care for tooth replacement.

Full Denture Implants 

Dental stabilization with implants explained.

Too many people who have conventional dentures don't wear them for the simple fact that they don't stay in place. Dental implants offer a way to keep dentures in place and allow you to go about your daily life with confidence.

The use of dental implants to stabilize dentures has proven to be successful for hundreds of thousands of people. The number is growing daily as word spreads of the effectiveness and long-term integrity of the treatment. In fact, dental implants have the highest success rate of any implanted surgical device.

Discomfort from the procedure is usually minor. Your dentist can prescribe medication to alleviate pain and will suggest a modified diet during the initial healing phase.

Please contact Valley Dental Center should you have any questions regarding the above dental procedures.

Call us today at (860) 651-3541