alexandria smiles

Implants

Even if you’re into the whole roughed-up hockey player look, it’s incredibly important to quickly replace a missing tooth in order to avoid bone structure complications and keep your remaining teeth healthy. Options include:

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Removable Denture

  • Removable appliance that fully or partially replaces teeth
  • Advantages:
    1. No surgery involved
    2. Least costly option
  • Disadvantages:
    1. Doesn’t prevent tissue shrinkage and bone loss
    2. Visible clasps which attach to adjacent teeth
    3. Could hinder normal taste sensation

Bridge

  • Fixed prosthesis that partially replaces teeth
  • Teeth on either side of missing area are trimmed to create stumps
  • Prosthesis is joined onto both stumps
  • Advantages:
    1. Evenly distributes bite force
    2. Keeps remaining teeth in proper position
  • Disadvantages
    1. Difficult to maintain
    2. Trimmed tooth’s nerve might become inflamed

Implant

  • Titanium root-shaped post that replaces natural root
  • Surgically placed into jawbone
  • Advantages:
    1. Best reproduces natural dental structure
    2. Longer-lasting
    3. No special cleaning techniques required
    4. Less costly in the long term
  • Disadvantages:
    1. Higher initial cost
    2. 3-6 month process

All-on-Implants

  • All teeth supported on 4 dental implants
  • Complete rehabilitation of teeth
  • Advantages:
    1. Complete arch restoration
    2. Less costly in the long term
    3. Only one surgery
    4. Prevents further bone loss
  • Disadvantages:
    1. Higher initial cost