Dentures and tooth implants offer ways to replace a missing tooth and restore beauty to a genuine smile. Dentures and implants can be used alone, or in concert with each other. One factor that determines whether dentures, implants or a combination of the two will works best is the number and location of missing teeth. The strength and amount of jawbone, and the health of teeth that remain are also taken into account. The patient’s overall health and other factors to consider will all be discussed at a consultation appointment.
An Overview of Dentures
A partial denture (replaces a few adjacent teeth) or full denture (replaces all the teeth of the upper or lower jaw) will be anchored to remaining teeth, or to implant posts placed in the jaw. Dentures are removed at regular intervals, for cleaning. The teeth created for use in a denture are carefully matched to original teeth. Well-made dentures are difficult to distinguish from natural teeth. Many types of dentures are anchored to natural teeth, and do not require surgery.
An Overview of Implants
Implants consist of three parts: the post, the abutment and the crown. A post is surgically implanted in healthy jaw bone, and a period of healing takes place. During this time, a crown (the visible portion, that looks like a tooth) will be crafted to match the surrounding teeth. When the post has fully fused into the jaw bone, the abutment is attached. The crown sits atop the abutment. While many implants take period of months to be completed, there is also an option for same-day implants. Information from your consultation appointment will give us a chance to go over your options, and answer your questions.