Not many years ago, losing a tooth left you with few options for replacement. While permanent teeth should provide a lifetime of function, it doesn’t always end up that way. They may be lost from an accident, deep cavities, or gum disease. And since teeth start as a full set, even one missing tooth may disrupt the complex function of chewing, the first step in digestion. As teeth slowly lean and migrate into extra spaces, wear and cracking from excessive forces often create escalating problems.
When it’s time to replace missing teeth, whether it’s one or a full set, several options might be available to you. Dental implants often give you the best opportunity to enjoy normal chewing and a full smile, although all therapeutic possibilities deserve consideration.
We know it’s not always easy for you to sort through the complicated possibilities. Dr. Bhandaru’s background in restorative dentistry allow them to develop solutions for every scenario.
Sometimes patients come into our office with one or more missing teeth due to an accident, sports injury, or even a fistfight. In addition to interfering with eating and talking, a missing tooth also ruins your natural smile. One of the restorative dental procedures we use to make smiles like new again is the insertion of a dental implant. With today’s implant materials and technology, they look and feel natural while blending very nicely into a patient’s natural teeth.
Dental implants are also quite comfortable, durable, and most last for many years. Are you currently having eating or speaking difficulties because of a missing tooth? Is it making you self-conscious about your looks? If so, come into Carrollton Smiles, and we will be happy to explain the many benefits of choosing a dental implant.
There are many reasons why you might need a dental implant, such as:
On many occasions, patients at Carrollton Smiles that have received dental implants done by Dr. Bhandaru have been amazed afterwards at how much they feel and perform like natural teeth!
For the best results, the actual dental implant process will be a gradual one that requires office visits spread over 6 or more months. That’s because we uses a safe and proven approach that involves these steps:
1. You’ll have mouth X-rays and impressions (molds) taken of your teeth and jaw to find the locations of bone and gum tissue, along with an assessment of tooth spacing for the implant.
2. The open area is numbed, and the implant surgically inserted into the jaw bone. An implant is a replacement tooth with a prosthetic root usually made of durable titanium.
3. Your mouth will be allowed to completely heal for up to 6 months. Depending upon the implant type, an additional surgery may be required to place a “post” that will anchor the artificial tooth, or teeth.
4. An additional healing period then takes place for at least 2 weeks. During this downtime, your artificial teeth will be carefully created at our lab and fitted to the anchor’s post. Sometimes several fittings are needed to get it just right, which could take 1 to 2 months.
5. Once your mouth’s healing is finished, the new artificial teeth will be securely attached to your implant. This will result in the perfect blend of mouth comfort and stability.
6. One of our staff members will give you follow-up care instructions, which include good oral hygiene, foods to avoid, and the importance of semi-annual office visits to ensure the longevity and performance of your new implants.
If you’re ready to get started restoring your smile as it was meant to be by learning more about the benefits of dental implants, call Carrollton Smiles in Carrollton, TX today at (972) 245-3455, and one of our staff members will gladly schedule an initial consultation with us!
Whenever you cruise across a bridge over the water, you’re being supported by the same principles that hold a dental bridge. Critical stabilization on each side helps bear the load, year after year. Teeth on either side of a space support a replacement tooth engineered from durable materials and glued into place. While this often serves for many years, the load-bearing teeth may deteriorate after thousands of chewing cycles. In some cases, this leads to more missing teeth.
In many cases, adding dental implants offer a better alternative, eliminating stress from the chewing system. When carefully placed in the bone of empty spaces, they mimic the roots of teeth. They bear the load that the natural teeth used to hold, sparing the neighboring teeth from excessive forces. In some cases, two implants may be used to build a bridge spanning from one solid titanium piece to another.
Although the planning becomes more complicated with larger spaces, Dr. Bhandaru knows how to bring the puzzle pieces together to fit any scenario. Regardless of the scope of your treatment, the steps are similar to deliver a functional, brilliant smile.
Dentures offer an affordable way to replace any number of missing teeth in your mouth. They have a long history of success and continue to earn a place in the list of options for rebuilding your smile.
As you may know, dentures are removable substitutes for missing teeth. Full dentures provide value when a person is missing all of their natural teeth while partial dentures replace only individual missing teeth to eliminate gaps and improve chewing. Denture treatment is customized specifically to each patient, and Dr. Bhandaru can help you decide which option works best for you.
Sometimes dental conditions, such as tooth decay or gum disease, can become unmanageable. This may lead to the decision to remove your remaining teeth on one or both jaws. Regardless of the case, full dentures are an economical and efficient way to restore your function and smile.
A complete denture consists of a thin acrylic base that rests on the gum tissue and is the same color as your gums. Porcelain or acrylic replacement teeth built into the base give the appearance of natural teeth emerging from the gums. We know that your smile is unique, and Dr. Bhandaru has the experience to help you select the teeth that appear most natural and harmonious in your smile. This gives you the option to customize the way you look, whether you want a “new” smile or just want to restore the one you had.
While dentures boast a long history of successful use, modern technology offers better options to enhance the way they fit and the way you look. In many cases, dentures can be secured more firmly to your jaw with the use of dental implants, placed in the jaw and connected under the base of the denture. This connection can be designed to create permanent fixation of the denture or to allow for its removal at times. In addition to having greater retention and a more natural look, implant-supported dentures tend to last longer. Dr. Bhandaru can discuss these options and help you understand the ways they can improve your experience with dentures.
Whether you’ve lost one tooth or many, chewing and smiling can become more difficult because of the gaps left behind. Partial dentures are an economical solution to replace the missing teeth and fill in the spaces, improving chewing ability and the confidence to smile. A partial denture in place will also help keep your natural teeth from shifting, lowering the risk of losing those teeth in the future.
Most partial dentures contain a thin metal framework that is designed to rest close to your gums and allow for a smooth, non-bulky feel. The framework is supported by your natural teeth to provide a reliable, secure appliance that is easy to use. Where teeth are missing, natural-looking replacement teeth are attached to the frame, and gum-colored acrylic is used to make the appliance blend with your mouth. Again, your mouth and your needs are unique, and Dr. Bhandaru works with skilled technicians to create a solution that is comfortable and esthetic.
With advances in technology, implants can also be used to support removable partial dentures, improving the fit while reducing the size of the appliance. Dentures inherently bring some challenges, especially to new wearers. Our goal is to minimize the everyday frustrations to the lowest level possible.
We look forward to discussing your options to make your mouth full again and to give you back a confident, glowing smile!
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