Are you self-conscious about your smile because of missing teeth? You’re not alone. Tooth loss is a common issue, especially among older adults. On average, people aged 60 to 74 are missing around 5.6 teeth, and this number tends to increase with age. Fortunately, there are several ways to replace missing teeth, each varying in complexity and price. At Riviera Dental Care, we recommend using dental implants to restore missing teeth because they provide a strong foundation and help keep your smile healthy and happy! If you’re considering dental implants in Orange Beach, AL, visit us at Riviera Dental Care in Foley for innovative solutions.
Why Replace Missing Teeth?
Missing teeth do a lot more than just disrupt the appearance of your smile.
Your natural teeth have two main parts of their structure. The crown is the top portion of the tooth, which you use to smile and chew. The root is the bottom portion, embedded in your jawbone below your gums. Although tooth roots aren’t visible, they are essential to your oral health, as they anchor your teeth in place!
Additionally, these roots play a key role in keeping your jawbone healthy. Every time you chew or bite, your tooth roots stimulate your jawbone, helping to keep it’s shape! Without stimulation, the bone begins to shrink in a process called resorption, causing it to lose both mass and volume over time.
Unfortunately, bone resorption leads to noticeable changes in your appearance:
- Wrinkled skin: As your jawbone shrinks, there’s less bone structure to fill out your face. This often causes the skin around your mouth to sag and wrinkle.
- Sunken cheeks: Similarly, without the support of your full jawbone, your cheeks may begin to sink inward, giving your face a hollow look.
- Shifted facial structure: Over time, these changes in bone structure can significantly alter the overall shape of your face.
Most traditional tooth replacement options, like bridges and dentures, only replace the crown of your tooth. Without replacing the root, your jawbone will continue to shrink underneath, weakening the support for your prosthetic.
The Dental Implant Process for Patients in Orange Beach
Fortunately, Riviera Dental Care offers dental implants for a more secure way to restore your smile! For patients seeking dental implants in Orange Beach, AL, we recommend our innovative dental implants, as they both anchor your restoration and help keep your jawbone healthy.
At Riviera Dental Care, we use two types of dental implants, both of which support artificial crowns, bridges, and dentures to replace your teeth.
Traditional Dental Implants
Conventional dental implants are around 5 mm in diameter and consist of three separate components. The first part is the implant body, which is a titanium screw. After using a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable, we simply make an incision in your gums and create a hole in your jawbone using a series of drills. Then, we carefully screw the implant body in place until it is embedded in your jawbone.
Afterward, we stitch your gums back up to facilitate the healing process. Over a period of several months, your implant will bond to the bone through a process called osseointegration. Once your implant is secure, we will reopen the incision and place the abutment, or connector piece. This component allows us to secure your restoration—or the third part of your traditional implant. This can be either a crown, bridge, or denture, depending on your needs.
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for this procedure, as it requires ample bone structure. For patients in Orange Beach who have lost bone due to resorption, we recommend mini dental implants instead!
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are the smaller, sleeker version of traditional implants. With diameters of less than 3 mm, these implants require significantly less jawbone, making them more accessible for most patients!
Additionally, these implants have only one component, eliminating the need for multiple appointments. Instead, we use a minimally invasive procedure that avoids incisions and stitches altogether.
After using a local anesthetic, we create a small pilot hole in your gums and jawbone. Then, we gently screw the implant in place, where its immediately secure enough to support a temporary restoration.
Because we don’t use an incision or create a large hole, we can better preserve the tissues surrounding your implant. In combination with its innovative threaded design, this minimally invasive procedure allows mini implants to be remarkably secure after placement!
With mini dental implants, there are no waiting periods, no extra costs, and no times when you go without teeth! These incredible benefits are why we recommend patients like you come in for a free consultation! Using our state-of-the-art CBCT and a thorough dental examination, we can determine if you are eligible for mini dental implant treatment.
Try Innovative Dental Implant Solutions in Orange Beach, AL!
If you are looking to replace missing teeth in Orange Beach, AL, dental implants may be the solution you’ve been looking for! These titanium posts secure your smile while keeping your jawbone healthy, a benefit that other traditional restorations can’t offer. At Riviera Dental Care, we can help determine your best path forward, whether it be conventional dental implants or mini dental implants.
Book a free consultation today to discover what dental implants can do for your smile!
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