DENTAL IMPLANTS
Missing or severely damaged teeth can cause pain, interfere with your daily life, and make you feel self-conscious about your smile. A dental implant is a permanent replacement for a missing tooth. The implant is a small titanium screw that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. Dental implants can be placed in either the upper or lower jaws. Due to the biocompatible properties of titanium, a dental implant fuses with the bone and becomes a good anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used in solutions for replacing single or multiple missing teeth.
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A tooth replaced with an implant has three components. The first is a titanium implant which is attached to the jaw bone. The second part is an abutment, which is affixed to the titanium implant. The abutment sits above the gum line and provides a surface for attaching the dental crown. The dental crown is the third part. It is shaped and colored to perfectly match your natural teeth. You can eat the foods you love and not worry about it falling out while talking. Dental implants are permanently set in your jaw bone!
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We work with one of the top oral surgeons in the Southeast who removes your teeth, then places your implants – all while you’re comfortably sedated. When the process is complete, Dr. Masone will fit your crown and you'll have a beautiful, new tooth!
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Protect Your Health & Boost Your Confidence
Many adults need to replace missing teeth. Though our veneers and all the materials we use at Denture & Dental Services are of the highest quality and durability, your crown, bridge, and denture will likely need to be replaced at some point. However, implants are one of the only dental treatments that are considered permanent with proper care.
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Once a tooth is lost or extracted, the surrounding bone is absorbed back into the body. Unlike traditional restorations, implants act as tooth roots to stimulate the jaw. This process prevents bone recession. Denture wearers know how a loose, shifting restoration can make everyday activities difficult and even embarrassing. Securing your denture with implants means you will never have to worry about these issues again.
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Why Replace A Missing Tooth
When you lose a tooth, the biting forces change on the teeth next to the space, causing them to shift. Opposing teeth may even begin to extrude out of the socket, which means they too could eventually be lost.
As your bite changes, it gets more difficult to chew your food, and you may suffer damage to your jaw joint. It’s also much harder to clean teeth that have shifted; harmful plaque and tartar collect in the new hard-to-reach places created by the shifting, causing tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Also, without the root structure of a natural tooth present, the jawbone can shrink. This shrinkage will make your face look older than it is.
There are no loose parts to worry about losing. The dental implant is stable and comfortable. No adjustment is needed after placement.
Normally, it will serve its owner for life.
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Dental implants are a versatile, long-term solution for a number of patients’ needs.
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Benefits of Implants
An implant and crown are practically indistinguishable from your natural teeth, and it fits so securely that you won’t even notice it when you chew and speak. When we place an implant, it’s not necessary for us to alter the structure of the adjacent teeth, so their strength and integrity is maintained. Also, an implant replaces the roots of a missing tooth, which helps to lessen the bone loss that occurs when a tooth is missing. In essence, an implant is the next best thing to your natural tooth.
When the three or more teeth are missing, the only real replacement alternative is installing a fixed bridge. The bridge contains all teeth in one piece and is anchored on dental implants.
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Beautiful, natural-looking smile
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Bone preservation
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Enjoy the foods you love
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Speak with confidence
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Preserve the adjoining teeth
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A more comfortable smile
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Tooth Replacement Options Using Dental Implants
Replace One Tooth — When you have one tooth missing, a single implant is inserted into the bone to replace the root part of that tooth; a crown then goes on top to simulate an actual tooth. This treatment choice has the highest success rate, making it the best long-term investment for replacing a single missing tooth. Even if the initial cost is slightly higher than other options, it is the most cost-effective solution over time. An implant will never decay or need root canal treatment and feels just like the tooth that was there.
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Replace Multiple Teeth — When you have more than one tooth missing, implants provide an ideal replacement mechanism. You don't even need one implant for every missing tooth. Instead, implant teeth can act as supports for fixed bridgework. For example, if you are missing three teeth in a row, we can place two implants, one on either side of the gap, and a crown in between that has no implant underneath. That way, you won't need to use any of your remaining natural teeth as bridge supports, which could weaken them and make them more susceptible to decay.
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Replace All Teeth Permanently — Implants can support an entire arch of upper or lower replacement teeth that are fixed into the mouth and are never removed. Sometimes the new teeth can be supported by as few as 4 implants. It's comparable to the structure of a table, which only needs 4 legs to hold it up. In cases where jawbone density and volume have deteriorated, 5 or 6 implants might be needed to support a row of 10 to 12 teeth. Dental implant replacement teeth protect your jawbone, won't slip, and should last a lifetime.
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Support Removable Dentures — Implants can even make removable dentures more comfortable, effective and healthier to wear. Traditional dentures rest on the gums and put pressure on the underlying bone. This accelerates bone loss so that the jaw shrinks and the dentures slip, particularly on the bottom. But today dentists can attach a removable denture onto implants, transferring that pressure into the bone structure rather than the bone surface. This prevents the dentures from slipping while you eat and speak, and preserves the bone directly beneath them.
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Implant Care & Maintenance
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There are only two ways an implant can lose attachment to the bone and fail once it has successfully fused: poor oral hygiene or excessive biting forces. Poor oral hygiene and/or a lack of regular cleanings can lead to a destructive bacterial infection called peri-implantitis. Flossing and brushing your teeth on a daily basis, along with regular professional cleanings, can prevent this. Excessive biting forces can come from either a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth or an insufficient number of implants to handle the forces generated by your bite. You should receive the correct number of implants so this does not happen. And if you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, a nightguard will be recommended to protect your implants. After all, implants are a long-term investment in your smile, your health, and your well-being, so it's best to protect your investment.
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...Every year, this number grows by 500,000
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For more information or to schedule your free consultation, please contact us today!
Get the quality you deserve at the price you can afford. The experts at Denture and Dental Services in Destin will present you with your options to help you choose the denture that is best suited to your individual needs and lifestyle. We want to make the life-changing, long-lasting benefits of restorative and cosmetic dentistry accessible.
Our team of dedicated professionals will work closely with you to design a treatment that suits your needs, budget, and end goals. Going to the dentist is an investment in time and money, and we want you to be thrilled with your final outcome. We will explain all your options and their advantages and drawbacks. At Denture & Dental Services, we will work hard to deliver a result that goes above and beyond your expectations!
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There is no substitute for experience. Call today to schedule your free consult at (850)-650-7979 and see the difference 35 years of experience and care can make in your life.