Qualifying for a Dental Implant Restoration

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Choosing the appropriate treatment to restore your smile from any oral health concern is a highly personalized process. Your teeth are unique, as are the conditions that could negatively affect their health and integrity. Therefore, restoring your good oral health takes carefully designing a treatment plan that caters to your unique dental health needs. However, when it comes to tooth loss, dental implants can offer a highly lifelike solution for restoring most patients’ smiles, regardless of the specific nature of their tooth loss. Today, we take a look at what it takes to qualify for dental implants depending on the specific details of your tooth loss, including its cause and the impacts you may have already experienced.

When you need to replace multiple teeth

A dental implant is a small post that’s designed to mimic a healthy tooth root, which makes it an optimal option for supporting a dental crown and creating a highly lifelike tooth replacement. Yet, dental implants are just as effective at replacing multiple lost teeth roots as they are at replacing a single one. In cases of multiple teeth lost, an appropriate number of dental implant posts can be utilized to support the right custom-designed restoration, such as a bridge or denture. Because the consequences of tooth loss multiply with each tooth that is lost or extracted, replacing multiple lost teeth with dental implants can be a significant factor in preserving your long-term oral health.

When you’ve lost teeth to periodontal disease

Your healthy, natural teeth roots rest below your gums and are held firmly within sockets in your jawbone structure. To replace the roots of lost teeth, dental implants must be placed within the same area of your dental ridge, which means the health and integrity of your gums and jawbone are important considerations. Many tooth loss patients experience tooth loss because of the progression of severe periodontal disease, or periodontitis. The disease systematically destroys the periodontal tissues and bone structure that support healthy teeth, and in severe cases, can leave one or multiple teeth without adequate support. If you have gum disease, it will be important to successfully treat and manage it before you can safely receive your dental implant posts.

When your jawbone has lost some mass and density

Whether it’s because of the damage of gum disease or the loss of stimulation resulting from the loss of your teeth roots, any diminished strength and integrity in your jawbone can be another consideration for your dental implant treatment. Your jawbone structure is the foundation of support for your teeth roots and your dental implants, and it must be strong enough to receive and support your dental implant posts for your restoration to succeed.

Learn more about qualifying for dental implants

After losing one or more teeth, dental implants could be the most successful way to restore your smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Dr. Stuart Dexter in Prairie Village, KS, today at 913-362-8200.