As a child, missing a tooth is a fun rite of passage to look forward to. As an adult, missing a tooth is disastrous. Many with missing teeth struggle to smile or find it embarrassing to laugh or eat around others. This self-imposed isolation can have devastating consequences, as you spend less time with those you love and alter your diet. At Happy Smiles Family Dentistry, Dr. Aristodemo understands what adults with missing teeth go through. Fortunately, she offers many effective, easy, and affordable teeth replacement options for patients like you to restore their smiles!
Why Look for Teeth Replacement Options?
While missing teeth as an adult can have unfortunate social, professional, and personal consequences, it also significantly affects oral health!
When you lose a tooth, you don’t just lose the crown visible above the gum line. Underneath the gums lies the tooth root, the bottom portion of the tooth embedded in the jawbone, which secures the tooth in place. When you bite or chew your tooth root stimulates the jawbone, helping to maintain its density and structure. After losing a tooth, you also lose that stimulation, causing your jawbone to resorb, losing mass and volume.
Jawbone resorption dramatically affects your appearance, causing excessive wrinkling around the mouth and changes in your facial structure! Additionally, shrinking bone significantly reduces your options for effective teeth replacement!
At Happy Smiles Family Dentistry, Dr. Aristodemo offers a variety of teeth replacement options at an affordable price. She also cooperates with many insurance companies and provides flexible financing options to help you afford the dental work you need. If you have any questions regarding the cost of replacing your teeth, Dr. Aristodemo and her experienced team will gladly assist you!
Teeth Replacement Options
There are four main teeth replacement options Dr. Aristodemo provides her patients. These include:
Traditional Bridges
If you have a consecutive row of missing teeth, a traditional bridge may be the restoration for you!
With a crown attached on either side, this restoration “bridges” the gap between your remaining teeth. To place a traditional bridge, Dr. Aristodemo must remove some enamel from healthy teeth on either side of the gap, placing a crown on top of them to support the bridge restoration in between.
Unfortunately, this procedure does not replace tooth roots, so your jawbone will still resorb, and your remaining teeth may shift in your mouth.
Traditional Dentures
This restoration is the most common replacement method for tooth loss, as it is the most affordable.
Traditional dentures can be either partial or full, replacing rows of teeth or all of your teeth, depending on your needs. These require a bulky pink base resting on your gums for the lower denture and suctioning the roof of your mouth for the upper. While they do replace crowns, traditional dentures fail to replace the tooth root, often leading to instability and difficulty chewing certain foods.
Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants are titanium posts around 5 millimeters in diameter and consist of various parts. These posts anchor artificial crowns, bridges, and dentures to replace teeth. Amazingly, these implants also act as artificial tooth roots, stimulating the jawbone and maintaining its shape and density!
To place traditional dental implants, Dr. Aristodemo makes an incision in the gums to reveal the jawbone underneath. Then, she uses a series of drills increasing in size to create a hole large enough for the implant to fit. Each component must be placed at a separate appointment, generally with a 3-6 month healing period.
While traditional implants successfully replace missing teeth and tooth roots, their invasive procedure and multi-piece design make them costly and time-consuming. Additionally, those with diminished jawbone may not be candidates for traditional implants, as the large titanium post requires ample bone for support.
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are less than 3 millimeters in diameter and consist of only one component. Despite their smaller size, these titanium posts are just as strong as their larger counterparts. Mini implants also secure crowns, bridges, or dentures to replace teeth, with their post acting as artificial tooth roots to maintain the health of your jawbone.
To place these implants, Dr. Aristodemo uses a minimally invasive procedure with no incisions or stitches. Instead, she creates a small pilot hole in the gums and jawbone and carefully places the implant inside. Once in the bone, these implants are remarkably stable. Instead of waiting months for the implant to integrate into the bone, mini dental implants support temporary restorations the same day Dr. Aristodemo places them! With mini implants, you never have to leave Happy Smiles Family Dentistry without teeth.
Their one-piece design and minimally invasive procedure make mini implants much less expensive than traditional implants and less time-consuming. For a simple, effective, and affordable teeth replacement procedure, try mini dental implants!
Restore Your Smile With Our Teeth Replacement Options Today!
Missing teeth as an adult can negatively affect your confidence, personal life, and oral health. Thankfully, Dr. Aristodemo provides a variety of effective and affordable teeth replacement options. Whether you want to replace a few teeth with a traditional bridge or all of your teeth with a denture secured by mini implants, she will help restore your smile! Dr. Arsitodemo believes a budget shouldn’t be a barrier to receiving the dental care you need. She provides flexible financing options allowing you to replace teeth without breaking the bank.
Book a consultation today to learn more about how Dr. Aristodemo can restore your smile!
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