What Young Adults Need To Know About Dental Implants

The most concerning issue with lost teeth is the long-term degradation of bone density that occurs. You see, when the teeth are in their natural places in the jaw, the motions of the mouth that create pressure on the teeth, such as talking and chewing, work to stimulate the surrounding areas of the jaw and encourage the strengthening of the bone material and soft tissues. This stimulation is essential for the development of strong, healthy jawbones. If teeth become missing, the stimulating effects become lessened and bone density will start to degrade.

Overall, when a tooth becomes lost, the long-term effects on the person can clearly be quite pronounced. Because of these effects, it’s very important for treatment to occur as promptly as possible to prevent any of these detrimental conditions from developing, even in young adults. So, how exactly do dentists treat lost or missing teeth?

What Options Are Available To Replace A Lost Tooth?
Replacing lost teeth can be done in several ways, including dental bridges and single dental implants in the case of individual missing teeth, or implant supported bridges in the case of multiple adjacent missing teeth. For the replacement of many teeth, implant-supported dentures may be used. In cases requiring complete mouth reconstruction, the innovative All-on-4 dental implant procedure is often recommended. This type of comprehensive mouth rebuild is common among individuals who may have experienced a severe accident, such as a motorcycle accident for example, that resulted in significant trauma and damage to the mouth, jaw, and teeth.

How Do The Different Tooth Replacement Options Work?
Dental Bridges – A dental bridge is quite simple, really. It is essentially an artificial tooth that is connected to the natural teeth that still remain in place in the jaw on either side of the missing tooth gap, creating a ‘bridge’ between them. The procedure involves filing and shaping the adjacent natural teeth into the ideal shape to create a secure and solid connection to the artificial tooth bridge, and fastening the bridge to the supporting teeth using a ultra-strong dental adhesive compound. The artificial tooth bridge is made from a special dental porcelain or ceramic material, and is coloured to match the patient’s natural tooth shade and color, making it virtually indistinguishable at a glance from the other teeth.

Single Dental Implants – Dental implants are artificial teeth that are embedded directly into the jawbone in place of lost or missing natural teeth. The base of a dental implant consists of a threaded titanium metal or composite post, made specially in order to create the strongest possible bond with natural bone material. Atop the base post, a precisely-crafted dental crown is attached, mimicking the look and color of the natural adjacent teeth. Dental implants work to restore complete mouth function, and are generally considered to be the superior method of replacing a single missing tooth due to their direct connection into the jawbone of the patient.

Implant-Supported Bridges – In cases where multiple adjacent teeth have been lost, an implant supported bridge may be used. This approach uses two individual dental implants on either end of the missing tooth gap, and the bridge is affixed to the dental implants instead of the natural teeth. This provides a shorter distance for the bridge to cover, and helps to create a stronger base support for the bridge thanks to the dental implants being affixed directly into the underlying bone.

All-on-4 Full-Arch Dental Implants – For many years, dentures were the standard method of replacing the entire set of teeth on the upper and lower jaws. However, innovations in dental implant technology has resulted in a far superior method of restoring complete mouth function to patients who have lost all their teeth. In the All-on-4 procedure, implants are strategically placed in both the lower and upper jaws (4 implants in each). To these anchoring implants, a full-arch of artificial replacement teeth are mounted, providing a hold that is far more secure and solid than any traditional denture. All-on-4 is renowned as a life-changing procedure, restoring the ability to eat and talk normally for patients, and giving them back the quality of life that occurred with the loss of their natural teeth.

What Are The Advantages Of Permanent Dental Implants?
The use of dental implants to replace missing teeth offers many advantages to patients. For starters, the stability and security of dental implants surpasses that of traditional dentures, and even of the strong dental adhesives used to affix bridges to adjacent natural teeth. Foods that people who have dentures or normal dental bridges would typically need to avoid are often not a problem for patients who have dental implants. This allows implant recipients to enjoy all the foods they could before the loss of their tooth.

Dental implants also look and feel extremely natural, and are indistinguishable from the other natural teeth in the mouth. The shape of the artificial tooth, along with the hue and shade, are precisely matched to the patient’s natural teeth. Patients with dental implants can smile with confidence knowing that their missing tooth problem has definitely been solved, and no one will be able to tell the difference.

Perhaps the most notable advantage of dental implants is the way they mimic the pressure and stimulation in the jaw of natural teeth. Bone density loss is a serious matter, and prevention is key in order to prevent long-term problems from developing at an accelerated rate. Dental implants, thanks to their strong fusion directly with the bone in the jaw, work to provide the same bone-strengthening stimulation as the other natural teeth, keeping the jaw as strong as possible.

Don’t Delay In Getting Lost Teeth Fixed
If you’ve lost a tooth for any reason, there’s no time to waste in getting it fixed. Avoiding the potential long-term complications of tooth loss for young adults depends on prompt attention and the right replacement solution. Contact the team at Georgian Dental today to arrange for an appointment, and we will help restore your mouth back to full function with dental implants.