Can Implants Hold My Dental Bridge in Place?

Nobody wants to lose their pearly whites. Most of us take a series of daily precautions to avoid ever being in a situation that can result in loss of teeth. However, it can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons. Regardless of why people may have lost some of their teeth, the important thing to note is the consequences that most individuals suffer due to missing teeth, especially the front ones where it’s highly noticeable. This can result in many problems, such as:

• Not being able to chew food
• Not able to eat in public
• Being too embarrassed to smile, talk, or even open your mouth
• Trying to avoid others completely due to missing teeth

The good news is that with all this new technology that dentists have at their disposal, filling in the gaps of missing teeth can be done quickly and efficiently.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges can be used to fill in the gaps and replace one or several missing teeth. It is a plate that usually consists of one or more artificial teeth (pontics) mounted between at least two crowns (abutment teeth) that are used as anchors. Pontics can be made of several different materials, such as porcelain, gold, alloy, or a combination of them.

Bridges can both be permanent (fixed) or removable to where they are made with metal clasps that click right into a cast metal frame or an acrylic base, so that you are able to take them out and put them back in.

Permanent bridges are cemented together and typically made of ceramics, metals, or a combination of both.

Dental Implants

Dental Implants are the result of a major breakthrough in dental technology that revolutionized how teeth can be replaced. They basically consist of two devices; the visible artificial teeth and the metal posts they screw into; placed in the jawbone beneath the gum line where the roots of your original teeth were.

Years ago, this alternative for false teeth didn’t exist; if a person would lose all their teeth, they would have to wear dentures to replace them.

However, even dentures have been upgraded and improved so they, too, are more sophisticated; still, they are not as effective as implants, which are permanently installed. People now have a choice between wearing removable dentures and getting permanent implants to replace missing teeth.

How Implants Work

Through minor surgery, metal titanium posts are placed into the gums of the jawbone to create a socket that the artificial teeth will be screwed into.

There are several processes involved in installing implants that can take months to complete, but well worth it considering a lifetime of the many benefits that result from the procedure.

In addition, the American Dental Association has approved two types of implants; Subperiosteal and Endosteal implants.

Subperiosteal implants

Subperiosteal implants can benefit patients who do not have enough natural, healthy jawbones to support the implants, yet do not wish to rebuild it by undergoing bone augmentation.

The implants are not screwed into the jawbone, but rather consist of a metal frame that rests above the jawbone and underneath the gum line. The frame will be mounted in place and secured into the jawbone gradually as the gums heal around it while the posts — that the artificial teeth connect to — rise above the gums.

Endosteal implants

Endosteal implants are, the more common of the two and involves a two-part procedure. The first part of the method involves surgically implanting a post, cylinder, or surgical screw into the jawbone of the patient.

Before the second part can be administered, where the artificial teeth are screwed to the implant, the soft tissue and bone must be completely healed, which can take several months.

Implants not only can support a bridge but also crowns and dentures as well. Bridges that consist of a single crown and dentures with multiple artificial teeth can also be secured to the posts.

Practitioners and patients all agree that dental implants are the best procedure to replace missing teeth in most cases, especially if only one tooth is missing. Although fixed dental bridges require enough space to secure the bridge in place and therefore, the teeth on either side of the gap must be grounded down.

Also, a permanent fixture can be established to secure dentures in place with implant supported dentures.

Dental Implants after Extracting a Single Tooth

If a patient wishes to have implants surgically installed after having a tooth extracted, in most cases, they must wait several months as dental surgeons recommend waiting for the socket to heal completely before performing this procedure.

However, according to a study published in the “Journal of Practical Periodontics and Aesthetic Dentistry,” in 1997, it may be better to install the implant right after the tooth is extracted in cases that involve root canal failure, fracture, trauma, and more. Check with your dentist to find out more.

Who Can Have Implants

Implants are the best solution for permanently replacing damaged or missing teeth.

Patients who are too young or too old may not be good candidates for implants. According to New York dental implant expert, Dr. Marc Lazare, a patient’s jawbone should be fully mature before implants are placed, which usually occurs between the late teens and early twenties.

Moreover, unless implants are anchored, there must be sufficient tissue present to work with since bone is what supports implants, and according to the National Institute of Health, bone mass recedes with age. Therefore, some patients may be required to have a bone graft procedure done before implants can be installed.

Other issues that can affect implants are:

• Certain conditions, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, sinus issues, and more may present problems with the mandible and maxilla quality
• The presence of important anatomical structures at the implant site
• Insufficient space between the teeth that will be needed to accommodate the implant
• Smoking can put patients at risk for certain inferior issues

To find out if you are a good candidate for implants, bridges, or other tooth replacement methods, see your dentist for a consultation. Your dentist will help you decide on the best treatment plan after viewing your health history, ordering digital X-rays of your mouth, taking impressions and digital dental scans, or other.