Implants
Barry Family Dental of Orem, Utah is trained in doing implants which are a great way to replace missing teeth. Implants have several different uses and advantages in the mouth. These are:
- Replacement of single or multiple teeth. This can be done by placing either a crown(s) on an implant(s), or by attaching a partial or complete denture to one or more implants.
- Preservation of Facial Structures. When an implant is placed and properly maintained, the hard and soft tissues around it are stimulated and maintained for the life of the implant. Without an implant these tissues generally melt away over time causing unesthetic bony contours in the front of the mouth, and decreased bone support.
- Function. When a tooth is missing from someone's mouth one or more things can result:
- Supraeruption. This is when a tooth has no other tooth to bite against and it continues to grow until it meets something (the opposing gums? Another tooth?) to stop its growth. This can cause both an unsightly tooth smile line (crooked teeth) and/or problems with biting patterns leading to excessive tooth wear and potential TMJ problems. An implant will hold the opposing teeth in place so this doesn't happen.
- Tipping. The teeth in front of or behind the empty site can tip forward or backward into the empty site. Along with crooked teeth this can cause problems with biting patterns and the gums. An implant will hold adjacent teeth upright and help avoid these problems.
- Chewing & Digestion. Missing teeth compromise your ability to chew food well, to digest it, and consequently your overall nutritional health. An implant functions just like a natural tooth and restores effective chewing.
- Tooth Preservation. There are other options to replacing missing teeth, and at times they can be a good option. However, there are disadvantages to each of them:
- Bridge. To do a bridge, each adjacent tooth to the empty tooth site must be ground down to make room for a crown. This weakens the tooth structure and traumatizes the tooth pulp. Also, the average life span of a bridge is about 15 years which means that after that amount of time a new bridge might need to be made further traumatizing the tooth. As you can imagine, this can become very expensive over time. Implants often spare adjacent teeth this unneeded trauma and in the long run can save you a lot of money.
- Partial. Partials without implants under them rely on existing teeth for support via wire clasps that surround the teeth. This places extra forces on a tooth that can loosen it over time. Partials also tend to trap food underneath them and hold it close to the remaining teeth. If a partial is not removed and cleaned regularly it can contribute to increased tooth decay and further needed dental work. Implants do not rely on adjacent teeth for support thus sparing them this increased risk of loosening and decay.
- Hygiene. As opposed to other tooth replacement options implant hygiene and maintenance is very simple. Just brush and floss around the implant like you would around a natural tooth.
Implants are an excellent long term solution to missing teeth. They are the closest thing right now to mimicking a natural tooth. They restore function, preserve facial structures, and can help restore esthetics when a tooth is missing.
