Modern dentistry has many ways to replace missing teeth. There are two main categories of tooth replacement. Fixed and Removable. Fixed restorations are placed in the mouth and never removed. Removable restorations are not fixed in place and can be removed by the patient.
Full Dentures: Removable appliances for people who have lost all of their teeth. For more information about Full Dentures click HERE.
Partial Dentures: Partial dentures are removable appliances for people who have lost some of their teeth, but still have healthy teeth remaining. The removable partial dentures have clasps that attach the removable teeth to the remaining natural teeth. For more information about Removable Partial Dentures click HERE.
Fixed Bridges: Bridges are porcelain (white) restorations that replace missing teeth that are permanently cemented in your mouth and not removable. In order to have a bridge placed, you need to have a tooth in front of and behind the missing tooth (for the bridge to attach to). For more information about bridges click HERE.
Implant Restorations: Implants are restorations that are not attached to the teeth adjacent to the area where a tooth is missing. There are three parts to every Implant restoration.
The Implant itself is made of titanium and is formed in the shape of the root of a tooth.
The Abutment is also made out of titanium and is made to custom fit inside of the abutment.
The Porcelain Crown is fabricated at a dental laboratory to match the shade of the rest of your teeth and is permanently cemented on top of the abutment.
A titanium implant is placed into a custom drilled hole in the bone, underneath the gums in the place where a missing tooth needs to be replaced. It takes about 3 – 6 months for the bone to attach itself to the implant making it read for restoration.
Three to six months after the implant has been placed, when it is firmly integrated into the bone, the abutment can be placed inside of the implant.
Once the abutment has been screwed into place, an impression can be taken to have a permanent Porcelain Crown fabricated which is then cemented permanently on top of the Abutment.