Missing teeth can impact your daily life, disrupting your ability to perform oral functions as well as leaving gaps in your smile. You can resolve these problems and prevent further deterioration of your oral health with tooth replacement treatment from your dentist.
You can find optimal benefits with permanent treatment from dental implants. But which dental implant will work best with your unique dental needs? Dr. Michael Courter, a dentist serving patients in Midland, TX, outlines three types of dental implants that can help you restore your smile after tooth loss.
3 Dental Implants to Replace Missing Teeth
Single Dental Implant
If you are missing one tooth, an ideal treatment to restore your smile can be found with a single dental implant. This fixture utilizes a titanium post anchor that your dentist will surgically place into your jaw.
When this heals, your dentist will secure a prosthetic tooth or crown to an abutment at the gumline attached to this anchor. If needed, you may receive more than one of this type of dental implant to fully restore your smile after tooth loss.
You can fill gaps in your smile to achieve your aesthetic goals. Your dentist can create customized prosthetics that will suit the shape, size, and color of your smile.
Implant-Supported Dental Bridge
Patients missing three or more teeth in a row can benefit from tooth replacement using an implant-supported dental bridge. This type of dental implant employs two titanium post anchors: one to support each end of the bridge prosthetic.
The implant can help you chew, speak, and complete other oral functions with ease once again. You will not have to worry about the device slipping out of place at inopportune moments.
If you take care of your fixtures, you do not have to worry about replacing your prosthetic teeth either. These implants can provide restorative benefits for a lifetime.
All-on-Four Dental Implant
An All-on-Four dental implant will replace an entire arch of missing teeth. You may receive this implant on either the top or bottom arch or both if necessary.
This treatment uses four surgically implanted anchors to sustain a full denture prosthetic. Dental implants have the added benefit of preventing bone degeneration in the jaw after tooth loss, which removable dentures cannot do.
The anchor replaces a missing tooth root, stimulating the jaw and stopping bone from deteriorating. It can also encourage the regrowth of any bone that may have already been lost. Therefore, an implant can offer more advantages than a removable tooth replacement, if a patient is eligible for this treatment.
Implant Dentistry and More in Midland, TX
Dr. Courter offers dental implants and other tooth replacement solutions to patients in Midland, TX. He also specializes in cosmetic, restorative, and general dentistry, including both preventative and emergency dental care, for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with our practice, contact our office by phone at 432.287.9531 or reach a member of our staff online.