Are You Missing Teeth?

By Snehal Patel, DDS, MD

Many people have lost teeth due to an extraction or maybe an accident. Dental implants are becoming an increasingly popular way to replace those teeth.

Compared to the traditional bridge, implants have been proven to last longer and not disturb the neighboring teeth. Innovative

techniques are emerging that are now making dental implants a viable option.

Immediate implant placement. Now, with improving dental implant engineering, dental implants can be placed at the same time as the extraction.

Immediate implant and temporary crowns. Previously, for a lost tooth in the front of your mouth, you needed to have a flipper, a plastic partial denture that would replace the tooth that was missing, for at least three to four months. Now, select patients can have the implant placed and a crown placed on the tooth the very same day.

Bone grafting. A variety of bone replacement materials and techniques are being developed. Bone grafting allows the oral surgeon to augment the width or height of the jaw bone, thus allowing for the proper placement of a dental implant where it previously was not an option.

Unhappy with your dentures?

Dental implants can be a great way of making those bulky ill-fitting dentures easier to live with. For certain patients, teeth can be removed, implants can be placed the same day, and the denture can be adjusted to fit onto the implants.

CT guided surgery. With the aid of CT and specialized software programs, complicated treatment plans can be planned on computers, reducing surgical time and improving accuracy. This translates to a better final product with decreased discomfort postoperatively.

With all these options, anyone can be a dental implant candidate. Contact your general dentist or oral surgeon for more information regarding your options for dental implants.