Losing a tooth can be a stressful experience, and it happens more often than you might think. In fact, millions of people in the United States are missing at least one tooth due to injury, decay, or gum disease. A missing tooth doesn't just affect your oral health and function; it may also impact your appearance, self-image, and confidence. At our dental practice, we understand how important your smile is to you, which is why we offer the most advanced solutions for tooth replacement, including conventional fixed bridgework and dental implants.
In the past, a fixed dental bridge was the go-to method for replacing a single missing tooth. A bridge consists of an artificial tooth anchored by two dental crowns placed on the teeth adjacent to the edentulous area. While dental bridges remain an effective and satisfying method for tooth replacement, you may also be a candidate for a single-tooth dental implant.
In addition to representing the most advanced method of replacing missing teeth available today, a dental implant offers several benefits over conventional approaches to care. First and foremost, unlike traditional bridgework, a dental implant eliminates the need to prepare and crown adjacent teeth. Dental implants are entirely self-supporting. In other words, a single dental implant restored with a crown will be an effective and permanent replacement for a missing tooth.
Besides supporting a single crown, a dental implant offers another important benefit. When a tooth gets extracted or lost, the bone that previously supported it will resorb over time. This shrinkage can eventually compromise the support and cosmetic result for future restorations and even result in facial sagging. However, since a dental implant gets placed directly into the jawbone and behaves the same way as the root of a natural tooth, it provides the ongoing stimulation necessary to preserve bone mass and support facial contours.
Dental implants represent the most versatile solution for replacing missing teeth and the one that comes the closest to replicating the look, feel, and function of a natural smile. In addition to replacing a single missing tooth, dental implants can replace multiple missing teeth up to an entire smile! They provide outstanding support for long-span bridgework and full-arch restoration and even offer added retention and stability to removable dentures.
At our dental practice, you can rest assured your smile is in the best of hands. We provide precise and gentle care and use the leading treatment methods and generations of dental ceramics to give you a smile you're confident sharing. Patient care and comfort are our top priorities, and we're here for you every step of the way. Call today to learn more about single-tooth dental implants and all the implant solutions we offer or to schedule an appointment for care.
