Do you have trouble chewing, or are you tired of dealing with a removable “appliance”?
Despite what you might see on television and in movies and magazines, not every smile is dazzling white and perfect. Some people must adjust to teeth missing due to congenital defects, disease, or injury. A missing tooth can affect aesthetics, speech, diet, oral hygiene, and the stability of the remaining dentition.
The old-fashioned solution for replacing a single missing tooth is a fixed bridge. A bridge uses existing adjacent teeth to stabilize the false tooth between them. Unfortunately, this solution requires the alteration of the natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth. Tooth reduction can lead to the need for root canal therapy, additional treatment, and possible future tooth loss.
Here is a rule of thumb for prosthodontists: If you don’t have to alter natural teeth then DON’T do it! Dental implants should always be the first option for replacing a single tooth or multiple missing teeth.
Patients who have suffered the loss of teeth may opt to be treated with partial or complete dentures. Unfortunately, these options may still result in slippage or movement of these removable appliances. The result is pain, discomfort, poor function and dissatisfaction.
So what’s the best option?
At East Tennessee Prosthodontics, we use titanium dental implants to replace missing teeth. This is the most advanced and effective remedy for a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth. This form of care doesn’t traumatize or mutilate the healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth, and this treatment option may make removable dentures unnecessary.
In the case of multiple missing teeth, we will use dental implants as anchors for a fixed bridge while still protecting the integrity of your teeth. If full dentures are necessary, we can utilize a variety of implant options to enhance the retention and support of your dentures.
They become secure and comfortable, and the best news is that dental implants help reduce the rate of bone loss that patients suffer when they lose their natural teeth. Continued bone loss in the jaw makes wearing partial and complete dentures increasingly difficult.
Research has verified the very high success rates of dental implants, which means that dental implants are here to stay. Dental implants are convenient and safe, can last a lifetime, and require only the same regular hygiene as your original teeth.
Are dental implants for you? Are you hoping to regain that smile you thought you’d never see again or are you tired of your dentures? Call East Tennessee Prosthodontics at 865-769-0886 to find out more about how dental implants can improve your dental health and give you a boost in confidence.
After all, your life should be full of confident smiles.