Why How Implants Can Make a New Life for People who are Missing Teeth
Missing teeth are a big problem for a lot of adults. In fact, statistics show that almost 70% of adults between the age of 35 to 44 years in the United States have at least one missing tooth. So if you are missing a tooth you are not alone. A large portion of the middle-aged U.S. population is suffering from the effects of missing teeth such as loss of enjoyment of food, avoiding social situations, and loss of self-esteem. Dentures, or false teeth, were the main tooth replacement choice for years, we now have implants available to give people back missing teeth. As the only board certified oral surgery group in the Lake Tahoe Basin, Tahoe Oral Surgery and Implant Center with Drs. Rachel Appelblatt and Mori Naftulin are your local experts for tooth replacement.
Implants:
Implants can be used to replace individual teeth or multiple teeth. An implant is most frequently a titanium screw that is placed into the jawbone into the location of a tooth root. Drs. Appelblatt and Naftulin frequently place implants to replace a single missing tooth. Sometimes we are even able to place the implant the day the tooth comes out (an “immediate implant”) but oftentimes the site requires grafting to have adequate bone for implant placement after healing. Of note – in most cases the top part of the tooth isn’t secured until the implant has fully healed – which does take a few months. Patients usually wear a temporary tooth during that healing period. It is important to have an oral surgeon evaluate the area prior to having a tooth out if you are thinking about an implant.
What do I do if I am losing all my teeth?
First – know that you do not have to be without teeth while going through this process. We generally will have your general dentist make a set of immediate or temporary dentures that you wear during the early healing phases.
There are several different options for patients who are faced with the loss of all of their teeth.
Traditional dentures – are an acrylic teeth replacement that is kept in the mouth by suction or adhesive. These generally do look esthetically pleasing and are the least expensive way of replacing teeth.
The downside is that they are not firmly affixed to the jaw and can be dislodged during eating, and many people dislike that they cover the whole palate.
After traditional dentures we can offer two types of “full arch replacements” that involve implants; overdentures and an implant supported bridge (which is also known as an “all-on-X”).
Overdentures replace missing teeth, like traditional dentures, but aren’t secured with adhesive. Instead, overdentures are secured to implants which have specific fasteners to prevent movement of the denture. This means that dentures no longer fall out and with an upper denture the palate doesn’t need to be covered. Depending on the situation, 2 to 4 implants are placed in the jaw and after healing, attachments are secured to the implants and to the denture for a precise, snap-in fit. This works very well for many patients and is a cost effective way of significantly improving function over traditional dentures.
Implant supported bridges (“All-on-Xs”) are an option for individuals missing many or all of their teeth. Unlike dentures or overdentures, the replacement teeth are fully fixed to the jaw giving the closest replacement for natural teeth. Four or more implants are typically placed in the upper and lower jaw. In the right cases, teeth can be extracted, implants placed, and a temporary implant supported bridge can be installed in the same day. This is often called “Teeth in a Day” or an “All-on-X” and has the immediate satisfaction of having fixed replacement teeth in a single day. Drs. Rachel Appelblatt and Mori Naftulin are experts at performing these procedures and are happy to consult patients on all of their options.
Each person is unique and has distinct requirements for their tooth replacement needs. However, just because someone may be missing one, many, or all of their teeth doesn’t mean they must use dentures and forego the enjoyments of what a full set of teeth can offer. With the advancements of dental implant technology, replacing one, several, or all teeth can help improve overall quality of life. If you are interested in a consultation to see what tooth replacement option may best fit your needs, contact Tahoe Oral Surgery and Implant Center to schedule your consultation with Drs. Appelblatt and Naftulin.
