Replacing Missing Teeth
Frederick, MD
Your teeth are an incredibly important feature in your mouth for many reasons. They enable you to bite and chew a wide variety of foods. They break down the foods you eat so that your body can easily absorb nutrients. Your teeth control airflow, aiding in proper speech. They help to maintain the health of your jawbone. The teeth are also an integral component of your smile. When you suffer tooth loss, all of these functions are affected, as is your quality of life. At Dental Arts of Frederick, we provide multiple treatment options for replacing your missing teeth, giving you back the functions of your missing teeth, your smile, and your life.
Bridges
A bridge is a fixed dental restoration designed to replace one to three missing teeth. There are a few different types of bridges, including cantilever, Maryland, and fixed. Fixed bridges are the most common type of bridge used. This bridge consists of a false tooth, called a Pontic tooth that has a dental crown on each side. The Pontic tooth fills the empty space left behind by the missing tooth. The crowns function to hold the bridge in place. They attach to the teeth adjacent to the empty space, sitting over them and anchoring the bridge securely in your mouth.
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Dentures
Dentures are a removable restoration for replacing an entire arch of teeth or sections of missing teeth. Dentures consist of false teeth set into a rigid base that sits directly on your gums. This tissue provides support for your new teeth. The dentures we provide today are designed to be much more realistic than dentures or even just a few decades ago. The teeth are made from acrylic resin and are made to look exactly like real teeth. The rigid, acrylic base is colored to match the color of your natural gum color, helping it to blend in much easier. Your restorations are made to be removed every night for cleaning. They should also be left out while you sleep, which gives your gums a break and allows the tissue to rest.
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Dental Implants
Dental implants are a more modern solution to replacing missing teeth. Where dentures have been in use for hundreds of years, modern-day dental implants got their start in the 1950s, with the first successful implants being placed in 1965. Dental implants are a unique treatment that uses small titanium posts to support your replacement teeth. Where traditional methods of tooth replacement sit above the gums, the titanium posts of dental implants are surgically inserted into your jawbone. There, your bone fuses to these posts, integrating them into your jaw. This process, called osseointegration, occurs gradually as you heal, stabilizing the posts in your jawbone.
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Once you have fully healed, the posts become replacement roots that hold your new teeth securely in place. Where traditional replacement options cannot stop bone loss in your jaw, the posts replace the roots of your missing teeth, restoring stimulation to your jaw. This helps to stop and prevent bone loss, helping your jawbone to remain strong.
When you have suffered tooth loss, it is essential that you have your missing teeth replaced right away. Replacing missing teeth restores the functions of those teeth and gives you your life back. Call Dental Arts of Frederick today at 301-732-7277 for more information and to schedule your appointment.
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