Single Missing Tooth
Having a missing tooth affects the health of your smile and can make you feel self-conscious about smiling in public. Dr. Geist, Dr. Fowlkes and Dr. Gregory can replace your tooth with a crown supported by a dental implant. Our team can explain your options and design a treatment plan that meets your unique needs.
The Difficulties of Losing a Tooth
Having a missing tooth can affect your speech, your ability to chew, and your self-confidence. Depending on the location of your lost tooth, you may feel the need to avoid smiling in social situations. Losing a tooth can limit your ability to eat certain foods and cause your other teeth to shift out of place.
Missing tooth roots will also cause bone tissue recession, which essentially means that the jaw will shrink and change shape over time. However, with the right solution, you can avoid this side effect while restoring the function, health, and appearance of your smile.
Our doctors specialize in oral surgery. They can plan and safely perform a dental implant treatment designed to provide you with maximum long-term benefits.
The Downsides of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are the traditional way to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges consist of one or more false teeth attached to dental crowns. The crowns are placed over neighboring teeth to support the prosthetic tooth. In order to properly place a dental crown, your dentist must alter the structure of the tooth. During this process, your dentist removes healthy dental tissue and reshapes the tooth so the crown fits properly into your smile.
Reshaping a tooth is irreversible and can compromise the integrity of healthy teeth. While a dental bridge can restore the appearance and function of a smile affected by tooth loss, it does not replace the tooth roots, meaning jawbone recession will gradually occur.
The Advantages of Dental Implants
Dental implants are small titanium posts embedded into the jawbone to replace lost tooth roots. Once in place, the implant fuses with the surrounding bone tissue in a process called osseointegration. These posts can support a range of restoration types, including a dental crown used to replace a single missing tooth.
An implant-supported crown replaces the entire structure of your tooth, from the root to the chewing surface. This allows you to experience superior comfort and functionality. In addition, by replacing the tooth root, your jaw is protected against atrophy for long-lasting results. While your crown may eventually need to be replaced, an implant can last a lifetime with proper care.
Our doctors specialize in oral surgery. They can plan and safely perform a dental implant treatment designed to provide you with maximum long-term benefits.
Restore Your Smile
Our team uses advanced technology to precisely place dental implants for a comfortable, stable, and secure restoration. For more information please call Monroe Office of Oral Surgery Associates Phone Number 318-388-2621 in Monroe or in Monroe.