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Healthy You Archives |
Aging Well
Smiling Again!Dental implants give you reasons to grin
Other Options For Replacing Missing TeethRemoveable partial denture—This appliance (typically with one or more prosthetic teeth) hooks onto adjacent natural teeth. It’s removed for cleaning. Fixed or bonded bridge—This device contains one or more prosthetic teeth between two crowns that are cemented to adjacent natural teeth. (The outer layer of the adjacent teeth is ground down so the crowns or caps can fit over them.) Dentures—These full sets of prosthetic teeth are for people who’ve lost all their upper or lower teeth, or both. The fit can change as the jawbone deteriorates over years. Extracting the bad tooth prevents the infection from spreading, but it’s not the end of the process. “It’s important to replace that missing tooth, even if the space doesn’t show,” says Karabasz’ colleague, oral surgeon and periodontist Ann Astolfi, D.M.D. “Otherwise, the jawbone under the empty space deteriorates and surrounding teeth shift positions, raising the risk for infection and gum disease.” In the past, people with missing teeth had the choice of dentures or a bridge. But there is another option: the dental implant. How dental implants work“A titanium screw inserted in the jawbone replaces the root of the missing tooth,” Astolfi says. (If the jawbone has deteriorated, you may need a bone graft first.) Using local anesthesia, the surgeon makes a small incision in the gum and creates a socket in the jawbone. The implant is placed in the socket and the gum closed over it. After the dental implant has fused to the bone (over several months), the gum is reopened and a crown attached.With today’s new techniques, Karabasz says, in many cases the entire procedure can be done the same day. Most people find it nearly painless. “These implanted crowns act like normal, healthy teeth,” Karabasz says. “Studies show they can last 30 years or more.” Who’s eligibleImplants are a good solution for nearly everyone, Astolfi says. “Middle-aged people are replacing bridges with implants because the teeth supporting the bridge have deteriorated. Older people whose dentures no longer fit well are having implants to secure the dentures. No one is too old to consider this option, if overall health is good.” Young people with missing or lost teeth also benefit from dental implants.Cost can be a factor, at up to $3,000 for a single tooth (the per-tooth cost is much lower for multiples). But unlike a bridge or dentures, Astolfi says, implants don’t require a root canal and will not decay like natural teeth. And some insurance companies have begun covering parts of the implant process.
Want to Know More about implants? Call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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