Lexington is the home to the winningest program in college basketball history. The Kentucky Wildcats have won eight national championships (so far) and made more NCAA tournament appearances than any other team in the country.
Why have the Wildcats been so successful for so long? Teamwork.
We’ve seen plenty of examples in sports of teams with lots of talented players who just couldn’t figure out how to play together. The best teams have players who work together and support one another.
This is why you could argue that dental implants may be one of the best teammates your mouth could have. Like the best players in UK history, implants make their teammates even better.
Today, we will discuss three “teammates” who get a boost when they are associated with dental implants.
And if you decide dental implants might be able to help you, then call the Beaumont Family Dentistry office in Lexington that’s closest to you to schedule an appointment.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are often used to replace teeth that are damaged, discolored, or decayed. If possible, dentists try to preserve as much of your healthy tooth as possible.
With a dental crown, our preference is to remove only the unhealthy portions of the tooth. Whenever possible, we will reshape the tooth into an abutment. Your dental crown is bonded to the abutment to hold it in place.
But sometimes your tooth can’t be saved, and it needs to be removed instead.
Leaving a vacancy in your mouth isn’t a good idea. It starts the process of bone loss, which can affect your long-term oral health.
In those cases or cases when you have a tooth knocked out, we may recommend a dental implant instead.
A dental implants replaces the root of your tooth (the part under your gums that holds your tooth in place). Each dental implant has an abutment on the top, which can be used to support a dental crown.
As your mouth heals, your bone will bond directly to your implant — just as it did with the roots of your natural teeth. By placing a dental crown on your implant, you will fill the gap created by your missing or lost tooth both above and below your gumline.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are similar to dental crowns. The difference is that dental bridges are used to replace multiple teeth.
For the sake of our example, let’s say you are missing two teeth. With a traditional bridge, the dentist would prepare the teeth on either side of your gap to support a dental crown.
In this case, your bridge would consist of four dental crowns that have been bonded together. The crowns on either end would be known as abutment crowns, and the would provide the support for your bridge.
Between the abutments crowns are pontics. This means you would have the appearance of a full set of teeth although two of those “teeth” would not have anything underneath them.
With an implant-supported dental bridge, the dentist would not have to reshape the teeth adjacent to your gap. Instead, he or she could bond two dental crowns together and place them on a dental implant or implants.
The implant or implants provide support and stability for your bridge. Once again, you will have a natural-looking smile and the ability to bite and chew the foods that you like to eat.
Dentures
As anyone with traditional dentures can tell, dentures come loose.
They can get pulled out when you bite into crunchy foods, like apples or corn on the cob. They can fall out when you are speaking. They can come out when you are laughing, too.
And remember what we said about losing bone density when you had one missing tooth? Well, if you don’t have any teeth, then you are losing bone density throughout your jaw. The longer your have your dentures, the more bone you will lose.
Your natural teeth helped keep your bone healthy because of your roots. The roots stimulated your bone and encouraged new growth.
Dental implants can serve the same purpose. By placing a series of implants in your jaw, your bone will get the stimulation it needs.
We can attach your dentures to the abutments on your dental implants. They provide a solid foundation for your dentures and keeps your dentures secure inside your mouth.
With dental implants, you can be confident that your dentures will stay in place no matter what you eat. And your bite force will be close or equal to what it was when you had all your natural teeth.
Making Your Mouth Better
We’ve talked about how dental implants can improve you dental crowns, bridges, or dentures. Looking the bigger picture, this is about making your mouth healthier and stronger.
In a way, this makes dental implants a great teammate for you, too. To find out if dental implants could help you, schedule a free consultation at any Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington.
Call the office closest to you or follow the link to that office to make an appointment with our online form.