Are you interested in dental implants?

In the past two decades the use of dental implants has progressed from the extreme to the conservative. Initially the implants developed in Sweden by Dr. Bränemark years ago were used in patients missing all of their teeth. Now the same principles are applied to replacement of a single tooth, multiple teeth or an entire arch of teeth with the same high degree of success. Depending on the condition of your mouth and your desires, a prosthodontist can recommend the type of treatment right for you.

Many prosthodontists provide implant placement surgery as a routine aspect of patient care. In many cases, prosthodontists are the ideal specialist to provide the dental implant surgery as well as the restoration. The success of the restoration depends on the implant placement, and the prosthodontist is the one member of the dental team who recognizes where the implant should be placed to ensure a satisfactory result.

Dental implants can replace multiple missing teeth which are traditionally replaced by a removable partial denture. Occasionally dental implants can act as anchors for a fixed bridge to replace the teeth making the removable partial denture obsolete. In some cases there are too many teeth missing to use a fixed bridge; however, using a dental implant with an attachment that snaps into the removable partial denture will significantly improve its stability and improve the patient's chewing function.

Perhaps the best known use of dental implants is treating patients without any teeth. Denture wearers often suffer due to loose and "floating" dentures, and dental implants offer many benefits to patients without teeth. Stability of the dentures is improved with the use of even two dental implants with attachments, but greater satisfaction is achieved as the number of dental implants is increased. Depending on the number of dental implants utilized to replace the teeth a denture can be made that clips onto a bar supported by the dental implants or a fixed denture that remains in the mouth can be attached to the dental implants. Dental implants also can help preserve the patient's jaw bone and retard the shrinking of the jaw that is routinely seen in long-term denture wearers.

Talk to a prosthdontist today about using dental implants to increase your confidence and improve your smile.