Whether you are missing one tooth, a few teeth, or even all of them, know that a full and confident smile is easily within your reach when you partner with Sebastian Dental. Our dentists can give you a custom-made restoration designed to fill any gaps that both look natural and can be trusted to last for decades. Rather than simply working around your missing teeth every day, you can finally do something about them, and it all starts by giving us a call to learn more about how to replace missing teeth in Sebastian, FL.
Why Choose Sebastian Dental To Replace Missing Teeth?
- DENTAL IMPLANTS RESTORATIONS AVAILABLE
- RESTORATIONS MILLED RIGHT IN OUR DENTAL OFFICE
- ABLE TO HANDLE EVEN THE MOST COMPLEX CASES
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
Missing teeth, whether they are visible in your smile or not, should never be ignored. Even one gap in the mouth can lead to bone loss that causes the surrounding teeth to shift, which can throw off how the entire bite comes together. This can cause excessive tooth wear, chronic jaw pain, and eventually—more tooth loss! Research shows that a tooth is 20% more likely to be lost when the one next to it is missing, but patients can improve their odds and prevent this from happening by quickly replacing any absent members of their smile!
Dental Bridges
A single replacement tooth, or even up to three connected, can be placed into a space in the smile, and these will be supported by dental crowns fitted over the remaining teeth on either side. Our bridges are designed to look just like the teeth surrounding them, and they can fully restore a patient’s ability to chew normally again. Plus, they can prevent the neighboring teeth from shifting as we touched on above.
Dentures & Partial Dentures
If you’re missing several teeth, the right denture can bring them all back at the same time, making it much easier to speak and eat like you used to. Partial dentures are specially shaped to fit between any remaining healthy teeth, while a full denture is placed directly on the gums to bring back an entire row. At Sebastian Dental, patients can get a traditional removable denture, or they can enjoy the most secure fit possible with an implant-retained denture.
Types Of Dentures
There are three basic kinds of dentures: partials, full dentures, and dentures held in place with implants. Each one is customized according to your specific needs and designed to look completely natural in your smile with realistic prosthetic teeth and a gum-colored base.
Partial Dentures – If you have some healthy teeth left with an arch, your restoration may look a lot like a puzzle piece. Our partials can blend in with your remaining teeth and help you maintain proper spacing.
Full Dentures – When all teeth in an arch are lost, a full denture restores them. Instead of attaching to teeth with clasps like a partial denture, full dentures use suction, which is achieved through a precise fit, to stay in place.
Implant Dentures – Rather than simply sitting on top of the gum tissue like normal dentures, implant dentures attach to the jawbone. This setup can be used for either full or partial dentures and gives the restorations far more stability. After having implants placed by another provider, our team can design exceptional implant retained dentures that snap into position for the perfect fit.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Dentures?
Anyone who is missing more than one tooth in one arch qualifies for dentures. However, you must also have healthy gums and, if applicable, healthy remaining teeth. These support your dentures and must be free from infection before we create your full or partial denture.
For those who are considering implant dentures, a strong jawbone is another requirement, but a bone graft or sinus lift may be performed to reinforce the jawbone for implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium post that is inserted into the jawbone, where it acts like a new tooth root. It is then attached to a crown, bridge, or denture that seamlessly recreates any number of lost teeth. Dental implants bond to the surrounding bone just like real roots, which is why they are just as stable and strong as real teeth. They also stimulate the jawbone from the inside, helping prevent the bone loss that is common after one or more teeth go missing. The result is a smile that looks and functions exactly like natural teeth. Not to mention, they can last for a lifetime!
The Dental Implant Process
At our office, we do not perform the entire dental implant procedure. Our team is instead well-versed in the restoration of the implant after the titanium post has been inserted into the jawbone. Patients who are interested in dental implants must have them placed at another office prior to visiting us for restoration.
If you are considering dental implants and have not yet completed placement, we will describe the entire process below, so you know what to expect from placement surgery to your final restoration.
- The first step in the dental implant process is your consultation with an oral surgeon. During this consultation, the surgeon will review your medical history and do a thorough examination of your mouth. They will also take X-rays and 3D scans to ensure that you are a good candidate for dental implants and to determine the best placement for your implant posts.
- Once you have been cleared for dental implants, the next step is to have the implant posts inserted into your jawbone. This surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia and takes about an hour to complete. After the posts have been placed, you will be given a recovery period of several weeks to allow your jawbone to heal and fuse to the posts.
- Once your jawbone has healed, you will return to our office for your implant restoration. This is when the artificial tooth (or teeth) will be attached to the implant post. The type of restoration you receive will depend on the number of missing teeth you are replacing. For a single tooth, you will likely receive a dental crown. If you are missing multiple teeth, you may receive a dental bridge or dentures.
The dental implant process usually takes several months from start to finish. However, the results are worth the wait! Dental implants are the closest thing to natural teeth and can last a lifetime with proper care.
Benefits Of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer a variety of unique benefits that set them apart from traditional restorative solutions. This makes them an incredibly popular choice among patients due to their uncanny resemblance and natural feel.
How Do All-On-4 Implants Work?
While there are many ways to address significant tooth loss, there is only one option that does so quicker and more effectively than other traditional implant treatments. That treatment is All-On-4, a method that not only replaces all missing teeth in a given arch but allows you to reap the benefits of treatment soon after your surgery is complete. As mentioned before, our team does not perform the placement of dental implants, but can deliver final restorations that look, feel, and function just as your natural teeth—maybe even better!
As you can likely guess from the name itself, All-On-4 is a specific type of dental implant treatment that works to replace an entire arch of teeth using a series of dental implants placed throughout the mouth, ideally four. This is done by maximizing the most amount of bone tissue possible, enabling the surgeon to place a restoration immediately following implant surgery. Keep in mind that this restoration is temporary, and your final restoration can be crafted by our dental team to achieve your definition of perfection!
Whether you recently had your teeth replaced or you’ve been dealing with a denture for many years, All-On-4 treatment is likely your best option if you are dealing with severe tooth loss. While this treatment does work to maximize existing bone tissue, those with severe bone loss or other underlying conditions (such as gum disease) will need to complete preparatory treatments before undergoing All-On-4. The performing oral surgeon or dentist will notify you of this if preliminary steps are necessary.
Don’t suffer from missing teeth anymore! Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with our experts and get the smile you have always wanted.