Welcome to Lamia Dental:
Tooth Replacement
Dental Implants
A dental implant is used to replace the roots of teeth. The implant is surgically placed into the jaw and an artificial tooth is attached to the top of the implant, creating a natural looking, undetectable replacement for the missing tooth. This procedure is performed in the office of Dr. Lamia using state-of-the-art computer-guided technology. In the event that more than one tooth is missing, several implants may provide a base for a series of artificial teeth known as a bridge (see bridges). Implants can even be used to secure a full set of removable dentures for people who have no remaining natural teeth. This can greatly improve chewing ability and restore quality of life.
It generally takes about six months for the surgical implant to heal before the final placement of the artificial tooth or teeth can be finished.
Dental implants with artificial teeth are the closest thing to regrowing your natural teeth. They are strong, stable, durable and virtually undetectable. By filling gaps left by missing teeth, implants can provide better chewing ability and improve quality of life. They are far superior to removable dentures.
Porcelain Bridges
A bridge is a single appliance that is cemented to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns (see crowns) and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared area. This mold is used to create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) bridge in a special laboratory. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a “new” tooth.
In some instances, a resin-bonded bridge may be used. In this case, the two teeth on each side of the gap are not prepared for crowns. Instead, the bridge consists of a false tooth with metal brackets on the back of each side of the gap. The brackets are attached to the backs of the real teeth on each side.
Unlike dentures, a permanently cemented bridge is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems.
Metal Free Dentures and Partials
Removable dental appliances that are custom designed to replace a patient’s missing teeth. They are “removable” in that they can be placed in and taken out of the mouth. They are specifically designed to deal with each patient’s existing dental condition by using that patient’s remaining natural teeth and soft tissues to support the prosthesis while at the same time replacing the missing teeth. There are many different materials available for removable prosthetic appliances and it’s best to discuss your particular situation and available materials with your dentist. Removable dental appliances can be very complex in design to deal with a wide range of problems. So for this discussion we will try to simplify matters by classifying removable dental prosthesis into two basic groups:
- Full or Complete Dentures: These replace all of the missing teeth of the upper and/or lower arch.
- Partial Dentures: These replace one or more – but not all of the remaining teeth.
Removable partial dentures are designed to correct a wide variety of dental problems while giving the patient the best possible result. One major advantage is that removable dental appliances are a cost effective way to replace multiple missing teeth.