When you have lost teeth, even if you have lost all of them, this could lead to serious trouble, but help is possible! With implant dentistry, our team can replace missing teeth and offer a full smile, with results that can last for decades. In today’s blog, your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist and implant expert talks about each step of the tooth replacement option.
The Factors Behind Tooth Loss
First, let’s talk about tooth loss. We can lose teeth due to issues like a serious injury, or even due to an untreated cavity or an infection. However, the most common factor behind adult tooth loss is periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. We understand the importance of periodontal disease, and we also know how to manage it to not only safeguard your remaining teeth, but your new dental implants too. When you lose a tooth, or even several, we hope you will contact our team to start the tooth replacement process, so we can help you smile with confidence again using our dental implants.
The Impact on Your Oral Health
How does tooth loss impact your oral health? With gaps in your smile surrounding teeth can drift from position to create misalignment. Poor alignment then changes the appearance of your smile and increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Missing teeth could alter how you eat and even lead to issues with clear speech. Losing teeth also means the body will take note and stop sending regular doses of key nutrients to the jawbone around the missing root. This means the jaw loses mass and density, breaking down to cause further tooth loss and even an older appearance. But we can counter these complications with the placement of one or more dental implants!
Digital Imaging and Planning
To get started, we will carefully examine your smile using digital x-rays and CT scanning technology. This allows us to assess the cause and severity of your tooth loss, identify any damage to underlying and connective tissues, and plan the best placement position for your new roots. We can find out if you need procedures like grafting or a sinus lift to strengthen the jaw and provide support for your new roots.
Dental Sedation
We also take your comfort into account as well. Our team can administer a local anesthetic to the area where placement is happening, and we also have sedation options to help you reach a state of deep calm and relaxation, even if you have dental anxiety. You will have no memory of the procedure, and your placement procedure can be a comfortable experience. You shouldn’t fear your visit, we want to make the process a positive one for you.
Placement and Restoration
When we have planned the procedure in detail and properly prepared you, we will then use digital surgical guides to oversee the process of inserting the implant portions into the jaw. These posts are made from biocompatible titanium and are accepted by the body as natural root structure. This stimulates the growth of jawbone structure to keep your smile intact and allow your new teeth to last for decades. Once the post is in, in the same visit, we may attach an abutment and crown to complete an individual one. If you have severe tooth loss, we could connect a bridge or even a full set of dentures to your new roots, so you leave our office with a complete smile. In fact, the All-On-Four process involves supporting a full set of teeth with only four specially placed dental implants, and takes a single visit to complete, start to finish.
Helping the Placement Area Heal
When the procedure is done, we will provide detailed aftercare instructions, and we may offer prescriptions for medications to help with the healing process. Our team could also discuss options like Platelet Rich Plasma, which can help heal the placement area much faster, so you can return to your normal routine in a shorter time frame and enjoy your favorite meals again.
If you have any questions about how we take on tooth loss with dental implants, or if you want to schedule a visit to start the process and begin 2025 on the road to a full smile, then contact our team today.
Schedule An Appointment for Tooth Replacement
Our team wants to help you enjoy good oral health and a smile that looks good too. To learn more about how we plan and place your new dental prosthetics, contact your Brooklyn, NY, periodontists today at (718) 444-3800.
