Missing teeth can disrupt the appearance of your smile and impede your oral function. Tooth loss can also cause your oral health to continue to deteriorate without tooth replacement treatment, even if the underlying cause of tooth loss is treated.
Your dentist can replace your teeth permanently with dental implants. They can recommend different kinds of implants that will suit your unique dental needs. Pioneer Valley Dental Arts, a dental practice located in Longmeadow, MA, lists three types of dental implants that can benefit patients seeking permanent teeth replacement solutions.
3 Dental Implant Types
Single Dental Implants
Patients who hope to replace one missing tooth can find effective treatment with a single dental implant. If needed, patients can receive more than one of this type of fixture to enhance their smiles.
This fixture features a titanium post that serves as an anchor for the tooth replacement. A dentist surgically places the anchor into the jawbone. When this heals after a few months, the patient returns to the dentist to receive the permanent prosthetic tooth, which often is a dental crown with a single implant. The crown secures to an abutment above the gumline attached to the titanium anchor.
The dental implant can fill gaps in a patient’s smile after tooth loss. These patients can feel renewed confidence in their appearance which can carry over into other aspects of their lives.
Implant-Supported Dental Bridge
An implant-supported dental bridge can replace three or more missing teeth in a row. This fixture features two anchors that a dentist places into the jaw: one to support each end of a bridge prosthetic.
The implant provides permanent restorative benefits, meaning patients with this treatment can experience improved oral function after tooth loss for a lifetime. These patients do not have to worry about their fixtures slipping out of place at inopportune moments, as with removable tooth replacement treatments like dentures.
All-on-Four Dental Implants
To replace an entire arch of missing teeth, dentists will often recommend the All-on-Four dental implant. This fixture uses four surgically implanted anchors that will hold an arch of prosthetic teeth. Patients can receive this implant on the top or bottom arch or both if necessary.
Unlike dentures, a dental implant features an anchor that replaces the missing tooth root below the gumline. This will stop the jawbone from deteriorating in the tooth root’s absence.
It can also encourage any bone that has already been lost to regenerate. This treatment has the added advantage of preserving a patient’s facial structure as well as the alignment of their remaining teeth.
Dental Implants and Other Restorative Treatments in Longmeadow, MA
Pioneer Valley Dental Arts provides dental implants and other tooth replacement solutions to qualified patients in Longmeadow, MA. Our practice specializes in restorative, cosmetic, and general dentistry, including periodontal care, for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with us, reach our office by phone at 413.327.9858 or contact our staff online.