Dental implants offer permanent solutions for tooth loss using advanced materials and techniques. Whatever type of tooth loss you’re experiencing — and however it was caused — your dentist in NE Calgary may be able to recommend implant options.
Dental implants generally
Here’s the essential information about dental implants generally:
Implants are a small screw made of titanium that replaces the root of your missing tooth
Your jaw bone accepts that titanium screw and bonds to it through a process called osseointegration
That process powerfully grips your implant into your jaw, and also spurs new healthy bone growth
The titanium implant can hold several types of restorations
Dental implants can last a lifetime and have a reported 98% success rate.
We’ll introduce you to four types of available dental implants in NE Calgary.
Replacing a single tooth with a single dental implant
The most common type of implant is one that is designed to replace one missing tooth (or multiple teeth that are not side by side). Your dentist in NE Calgary will place the titanium post into your jaw. Within a few months, that titanium post will be fully fused to your jaw bone. Once the post is in place, it will be fitted with a custom-designed crown using an abutment. That crown will be designed and shaped to match your remaining teeth.
Replacing multiple missing teeth with an implant-supported bridge
If you are missing two or more teeth that are beside each other, that complete gap can be filled by an implant-supported bridge. Traditional bridges consist of crowns on either side of your gap and an artificial tooth between them. With a traditional bridge, the crowns are attached to your natural teeth.
With an implant-supported bridge, it is not necessary to alter your remaining natural teeth in any way. Instead, titanium screws are implanted in your jaw at each end of the gap. Then, a bridge is custom-designed to fill the entire gap and attached to the implant using an abutment.
This option eliminates the need to alter your remaining natural teeth and to insert an implant for each missing tooth (which reduces costs). Having said that, because no titanium post is inserted in the middle position(s), you do not get the benefit of osseointegration and stimulated bone growth in that gap. Instead, you will suffer some bone loss in that area.
Replace most or all of your teeth with implant-retained dentures
Traditional dentures are custom designed and fitted artificial teeth that rest on your gums and need to be removed, cleaned, and replaced in your mouth. They offer the appearance of full sets of teeth, but their inherent removability has significant downsides. They can be loose, slip, slide, fall out, and interfere with talking and eating.
Advancements in dental implant techniques offer a solution for those common problems associated with traditional dentures. A dentist near you can implant four titanium posts in your jaw which, once fully integrated into your jaw bone, will serve as permanent mounts (via abutments) for your dentures.
Atrophic Maxilla Dental Implants
Not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants. It is essential that you have sufficient bone density to allow for the implant. Your dentist will determine that using a CBCT scanner that generates a 3D image of your jaw. Patients with insufficient bone in their upper jaw have a condition called atrophic maxilla. That condition means that the most common form of implants is inappropriate.
However, atrophic maxilla dental implants are designed to work around that lack of bone mass and density. Prosthodontic rehabilitation and advanced implant technology may permit dentures wearers with generally insufficient bone mass or density to make the switch to implants without bone grafting.
The technological innovations that led to the development of titanium implant options have never stopped. Dentists in NE Calgary can provide you with dental implant options for many missing teeth options. If you’re ready for a permanent solution to your missing teeth, get in touch with a dentist in NE Calgary to learn more.