Tooth Replacement Options
Your teeth perform many important jobs. Along with biting and chewing, the teeth are essential for proper speech, your smile, and the integrity of your jawbone. When you suffer tooth loss, all of these functions are affected, as is the quality of your life. If you have lost teeth, it is essential that they are replaced right away.
North Hills Dental can replace your missing teeth with dental bridges and/or implants.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are a type of dental restoration that can replace a missing tooth by “bridging” space. Unlike a partial denture, a bridge is a permanent addition to your mouth and cannot be removed for cleaning. Instead, you will brush it like you would your normal teeth and floss around it using a special flossing threader.
A traditional dental bridge consists of the Pontic— a prosthetic tooth— and two crowns, one on either side of the Pontic. This works best for patients who have two natural teeth on either side of the gap.
If you are missing more than one tooth and do not have surrounding teeth to support it, you may need an implant-supported bridge. This requires the surgical placement of dental implants to support the Pontic.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are another option to replace missing teeth. This solution involves the surgical placement of small titanium posts in your jawbone. Your bone gradually fuses to the posts, turning them into replacement tooth roots that are then used to provide support for the ceramic crowns that act as your replacement teeth. The fusion of your bone to the posts is a process called osseointegration, and it turns the posts into strong, stable roots that anchor your new teeth securely in place.
Dental implants provide an incredible alternative to traditional bridges and dentures, offering you a long-term, more comfortable, more natural looking solution for your tooth replacement needs. Call North Hills Dental today to schedule your appointment and find out if dental implants are right for you.