Suffering from damaged or missing teeth can be embarrassing and detrimental to your oral and overall health. If you find yourself researching the best option for replacement, you will see that dental implants provide the most natural solution. We offer many options, but affordable dental implants are superior for many reasons.
A dental implant will look, feel, fit and function like real teeth, especially when compared to removable dentures or a dental bridge. They are strong, stable, and the most natural-looking solution when teeth are missing. Implants protect your jaw bone from deteriorating and do not require grinding down adjacent teeth.
The type of dental implant you receive will depend on the number and location of your missing teeth and your oral health. Dr. Brent L. Blaylock, a dentist in Durham NC, provides dental implants to patients who need to replace one or more missing teeth. He will create a personalized treatment plan for your new dental implant(s) and coordinate with a local oral surgeon to implant the titanium post(s).
Types of Dental Implants
Single Tooth Replacement – Even one missing tooth can cause oral health issues that will be costly to repair in the future. Dr. Blaylock recommends a dental implant-secured dental crown because it’s a permanent solution and will require no maintenance in the future.
Dr. Blaylock will coordinate the surgical phase of the implant post into your root canal. Once healed in about 3-6 months, the abutment will be attached, and a dental crown will be used to complete the restoration at our Durham, NC dentist office. The dental crown will be custom designed to fit your smile aesthetically. We model the dental crown to match the color, size, and shape of the rest of your teeth.
Replacement of Several Teeth – If you are missing several teeth, you can either replace each one with a dental implant-secured dental crown or a dental implant-secured dental bridge. An implant-secured dental bridge is appropriate if you have several consecutive missing teeth.
Several dental implant-secured dental crowns are appropriate if you have nonconsecutive missing teeth. If the patient qualifies for dental implants, Dr. Blaylock will recommend securing a dental bridge with dental implants. Dental implants provide more structural support for the jaw and bite and need less maintenance.
An implant-secured bridge also spares extra wear and tear on your natural teeth. When dental bridges aren’t secured with dental implants, natural teeth anchor the dental bridge. This increases wear and tear on natural teeth and makes them more likely to succumb to damage or tooth decay. Using implants avoids placing this extra stress on your natural teeth.
Replacement of an Entire Arch of Teeth – Dr. Blaylock offers affordable dental implant-supported dentures with better retention and long-term benefits than traditional removable dentures. This option is suitable for patients who are missing an entire arch of teeth, either top or bottom. Dentures can cause many struggles for some patients, including restricted diet and slipping.
Dentures secured using dental implants will eliminate that slipping, and there are no eating restrictions. They also eliminate the need for glues, adhesives, soaks, or rinses. Dr. Blaylock will coordinate the surgical phase with a local dental implant specialist in Durham who will strategically place as few as four dental implants in the jaw to maintain a healthy jaw bone structure. These dental implants will be used to secure a denture.
Implant-secured dentures give you the best benefits of both dentures and implants. Because so few are needed, you don’t have to pay the price of a bunch of individual dental implants. However, you still get the perks of 100% of your bite function, as well as stopping jawbone deterioration.