Missing teeth can occur due to numerous factors, including injury, decay, gum disease, and natural wear and tear. When teeth are lost or must be removed, you and your dentist must make a decision about how to replace them.
Options for Replacing Teeth
There are two main options for replacing missing teeth: dentures and dental implants. Though dentures have been used for literally hundreds of years, new technology has made possible dental implants that can replace not only the chewing and biting surfaces of your teeth but also the tooth root.
Dentures, including bridges and other options for replacing one or two teeth, only replace the visible portion of the teeth. They rest directly on the gums, sometimes leading to irritation and discomfort. By contrast, dental implants are placed directly into the jawbone, where they function just as a natural tooth would.
The Dental Implant Process
The dental implant process typically occurs in two stages. First, the implant dentist places the root portion of the implant in the jawbone. In some cases, this is preceded by bone grafts or other treatment to ensure there is enough bone tissue to support the tooth root.
The root portion of a dental implant is made of titanium, a metal that naturally bonds to bone. It takes a few months for this bonding process to finalize, during which time the titanium and the bone of the jaw bond in a process called osseointegration. The bonding of the titanium to the bone will help ensure that your jawbone is stimulated during chewing after your implants are completed. This stimulation encourages the bone tissue to grow, so that your jawbone remains strong and healthy.
After the root portion of the implant has healed sufficiently, the implant dentist will affix the visible portion of the implants. These prosthetic teeth are custom-made and color matched so that they are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth. Once the entire procedure is complete, you will have a full set of functional teeth that look and feel just like the teeth you lost.
For more information about dental implants in the Burnaby area, please contact our office for a consultation.