Having decayed and damaged teeth is no longer synonymous with a deteriorated smile.
Perhaps you think that you have some badly damaged teeth and that nothing can be done about it. Maybe the restorative methods you had done years ago have started to fail. Maybe you are missing one or more teeth due to an accident or a necessary tooth extraction… Whatever the situation, we can consider a restoration treatment with dental implants.
Dental implants are screws that replace the root of the tooth, usually made of titanium. Once they are integrated into the bone, the dental prosthesis is placed. There are mainly 3 types of implant-supported prostheses:
Dental crowns:
A dental crown is a cover that is made to fit the damaged tooth.
In cases where a natural tooth can no longer be fitted with a dental crown due to the poor condition of the tooth, an implant can be used.
To place an implant-supported crown, the natural tooth must first be extracted. The implant is then placed in the place where the tooth used to be and, if the esthetic conditions require it, a temporary crown can be placed immediately.
Once the implant has osseointegrated, i.e. integrated with the bone, a definitive dental crown will be fabricated and placed.
Dental bridge:
While a dental crown is a single piece that is placed over a tooth, a dental bridge is made up of three or more dental crowns replacing teeth that have been lost and using the teeth adjacent to the missing ones as abutments.
When bridges are placed on dental implants, two or more implants are used as abutments, depending on the number of teeth to be replaced.
A natural tooth and an implant should never be used as abutments for a bridge, as they have different hardnesses and the stability of the implant may be endangered.
Dentures:
Complete dentures are used to restore an entire upper or lower dental arch. They are used in cases where all the teeth of the jaw are missing. In cases where several teeth are missing, the prosthesis is called a partial denture. In both cases they are removable prostheses.
When the removable dentures do not have enough support due to the lack of bone, implants can be placed to fix the dentures to them. With 4 implants by means of the procedure called “All on four”, a fixed prosthesis can be elaborated.
As you can see, dental implants can offer a wide variety of options in a dental restoration situation. If this is your case, do not hesitate to consult your dentist who will advise you which one is the best option for you.
