WHEN SHOULD IMPLANTS BE USED?

Anyone in reasonable health who wants to replace missing teeth; those who are dissatisfied with their present denture; those people who would like to eat better and with more comfort, smile more frequently and feel more secure when they talk and laugh. In some instances, some patients may not have sufficient bone available for the placement of implants. In these patients, new bone can be added by ridge augmentation procedures.

1. The replacement of all the teeth in a jaw: The conventional method of replacing all the teeth in a dental arch is with a complete denture, but if the jawbone provides insufficient support, implants may be needed and the jawbone may have to be built up.

 

2. The replacement of several teeth where there are insufficient remaining teeth to make a traditional type of prosthesis that attaches to your remaining teeth.

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3. Single tooth replacements: The conventional method of replacing a single missing tooth is with a fixed partial denture, which is cemented to the teeth on either side of the missing tooth. In this instance, the implant may be the most conservative restoration.

 

 

4. The replacement of several teeth in the same general area: When two or three adjacent teeth are missing, a fixed partial denture may still be the treatment of choice depending on the amount of bony support of the teeth adjacent to the missing ones. The more missing teeth there are, the greater the load that is placed on the remaining teeth. When the load becomes excessive, a fixed partial denture will be less likely to succeed.