Adult teeth are meant to last forever, but issues like periodontal disease, injury, or other diseases can cause adult teeth to fall out or require that they be extracted. One reason many patients turn to dental implants for their tooth restoration needs is because of their versatility. A dental implant can replace one missing tooth or multiple missing teeth anywhere in the mouth.
Traditional dental bridges are fixed by your restorative dentist to cosmetically restore the look of multiple missing teeth next to each other in the dental arch. Similar to removable partial dentures, they do not fuse to the jaw bone, therefore do not maintain the health and integrity of the jaw over time. Traditional bridges require the healthy teeth on either side of the gap to be ground down so that the bridge will fit. This option damages the healthy teeth and does not improve oral health.
Implant-supported bridges function the same way as traditional bridges, in that they aesthetically repair the gap caused by multiple missing teeth. However, dental implants can be inserted and used to support the bridge, providing the same great benefits of having dental implants placed into the jaw bone. The implant posts will stimulate the jaw and keep it healthy, while the bridge is supported by the implants instead of your natural teeth.
Even if you are missing multiple teeth in your mouth that are not next to each other, multiple dental implants can be placed in every spot where a tooth is missing. It’s clear why many patients choose dental implants to replace missing teeth—and with proper care, your implant can last a lifetime.
Gum disease, facial trauma, or other illness can result in tooth loss. When this occurs, you may experience a total loss of confidence in your smile and avoid eating or laughing around others. 7x7 Dental Implant & Oral Surgery Specialists offers full-arch restoration, a solution for patients in San Francisco, CA, who wish to achieve a healthy and complete smile again.
Full-arch restoration involves using as few as four dental implant posts to support a permanent prosthesis in one or both dental arches. The dental implants act as tooth roots, stimulating the jaw and supporting the fixed denture. The prosthesis is custom-made to match the shape of your mouth and will look just like a natural set of teeth. After implant placement, the posts fuse to the jaw bone to prevent bone loss and restore your ability to eat.
This prosthesis is permanent and remains in your mouth during eating, brushing, sleeping, and dental visits. Simply brush and floss regularly, and your fixed denture will last for many years. Removable dentures do not fuse to the jaw bone or keep it healthy, but dental implants do. This is why patients turn to full-arch restoration, the healthy, long-term solution for many missing teeth.
If you are missing many teeth, experience poor oral health, or would like to explore your oral surgery options for achieving a healthier, happier smile, please contact one of our offices in San Francisco, California, for an appointment.
We have three convenient practice locations to serve you in San Francisco, CA—choose from our West Portal office (on W. Portal Avenue), our Stonestown office (on Buckingham Way), or our Van Ness office (on Daniel Burnham Court).