Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are usually made of titanium and are attached to either the upper or lower jawbone. Over time, the metal integrates with the jawbone, creating a very strong bond that can be used to secure a single fabricated tooth, a fixed bridge or a removable denture.
Implants are a great way to replace missing teeth and enhance patients’ smiles. In addition, they can be used to substitute bulky, ill-fitting dentures with secure bridges.
Dental implants have an excellent success rate. Studies have shown that such treatments are over 90 percent successful ten years following surgery. However, due to normal wear, they occasionally require tightening or replacement.
The benefits of dental implants include:
Improve patients’ smiles
May improve jaw joint problems or bite issues
Increase chewing efficiency, speech, and digestion
Support facial tissues
Stabilize a fixed bridge or removable denture
No effect on adjacent teeth when replacing one or more tooth
A Missing Single Tooth
For patients who are missing a single tooth, the Toronto cosmetic dentistry professionals of the Art of Dentistry usually recommend an implant-supported crown—especially when both the tooth and root are lost. A ceramic crown supported by a dental implant looks and functions just like a natural tooth, thus restoring the patient’s smile.
Often this procedure can be done in just a few appointments. The following is a step-by-step explanation of one possible course of treatment offered at the Art of Dentistry:
Before the procedure:
First the Art of Dentistry surgeon conducts an initial examination, including X-rays of the teeth and jaw.
Placing the implant:
At the next appointment, the implant is placed and a temporary tooth is
attached, enhancing the appearance of your smile and allowing you to
eat and function like normal. The implant will need four to six months
to fuse with the jawbone before the next step can taken.
Connecting the new crown:
The final step is the cementing of the new, permanent ceramic tooth to the implant.
Final result:
The new tooth should fit and function just like a natural tooth. In
order to ensure continued health of the implant, the patient should
continue daily brushing and flossing along with regular professional
hygiene appointments.
Multiple Teeth Missing
The following example illustrates how the Toronto cosmetic dentistry experts at the Art of Dentistry might replace three missing teeth with a fixed three-tooth bridge supported by two dental implants. In the past, this patient would have been provided with dentures, which did not offer the stability or function that today’s implants provide. The unparalleled strength and stability of today’s dental implants allow patients to eat whatever they want while preserving their jawbone and facial appearance.
The following is a step-by-step illustration of one of various treatment options available at the Art of Dentistry:
Diagnosing the condition
The Art of Dentistry will provide a comprehensive examination and
consultation. For three missing teeth, one option is a fixed three-tooth
bridge anchored on two dental implants.
Implant placement
Implant placement is typically accomplished in a single session. A
temporary bridge may be provided at this appointment to allow the
patient to eat and function like normal while awaiting the permanent
bridge.
Bridge delivery
Because implants need time to integrate into the jawbone, the permanent
bridge is not attached until about four months after implant placement.
Conclusion
The new bridge can withstand all the pressure and strain that natural
teeth typically endure. The end result is a stable and secure outcome
that allows you to eat whatever and whenever you want.
All Teeth Missing
In cases in which most or all the teeth in an arch are lost, the Toronto cosmetic dentists at the Art of Dentistry often recommend a fixed bridge anchored to dental implants.
Before the development of dental implants, dentures were the only solution in such cases. Today, the Art of Dentistry can replace a full jaw with dental implants and a fixed bridge, creating a permanent, stable and natural-looking result.
The benefits of full arch implants include:
Function like natural teeth
Solid and stable
Potentially last a lifetime
Prevent bone loss
Maintain patients’ facial appearance
The following is a step-by-step description of one of various full-arch implant procedures offered by the Toronto dental professionals at the Art of Dentistry:
Before the procedure
Prior to the procedure, the Art of Dentistry dentist provides a
thorough examination, including a medical and dental history. In
addition, the doctor fully informs the patient of his or her options and
expected results in order to ensure that both the patient and surgeon
are completely prepared for the coming procedure.
Placing the implants
Next, the dental implants are inserted in the jawbone. In addition,
temporary teeth are provided so that the patient can eat and function
like normal while waiting for the fabrication of the permanent bridge.
Cementing the bridge
The permanent bridge is placed over the implants. In order to complete
the full jaw reconstruction illustrated in this example, two or three
appointments are generally required.
Finished result
Your new teeth will feel great and will be almost impossible to tell
from real teeth. Those who have switched from dentures to fixed bridges
often call the experience “transformational”.
