Are you missing single or multiple teeth? Considering dental implants in Pittsburgh? Congratulations on your future tooth replacement treatment! While it’s a smart choice to not only replace teeth, but to do so with dental implants, it’s important to start thinking about what your future treatment will look like. It’s one of the first things you’ll need to determine during your consultation. Once you have a better understanding of the number of dental implants you need, you can start financially planning for your future smile! Until then, here’s what you should know today.
When You’re Missing One Tooth
Teeth are held in place via tooth roots, which are long and extend deep into the jawbone in order to remain stable. When the tooth is removed, so is that same tooth root. Dental implants are capable of mimicking tooth roots almost exactly, which means they can hold dental restorations with confidence.
If you only need to have a single tooth replaced, there’s no reason why you should need to have more than one implant attached to your jaw. However, you will need to wait about four to six months before a permanent restoration can be placed on top of the implant.
If You’re Missing Multiple Teeth
The more missing teeth you have, the more implants you’ll need to have placed. However, it’s unlikely that you’ll need as many implants as you think. In fact, even if you were to replace all the teeth in your arch with an implant-retained denture, you’ll only need to have anywhere between 4 and 8 implants strategically placed throughout the jaw. If you needed to have a partial denture that’s retained with implants placed, you’ll only need anywhere between 2 to 3 implants. This is also the case for implant-retained bridges.
Additionally, if your prosthetic is designed to be removable, that can also influence the number of implants utilized. For example, overdentures, which are designed to snap on and off of dental implants, rely on a bar or ball in socket attachment to stay in place. In many cases, only 2 to 4 implants are placed to hold this component. Alternatively, fixed implant dentures often rely on just four implants.
How to Best Confirm Your Needs
It’s always better to do research beforehand in order to get a better idea of how many dental implants you’ll need. However, you’ll still need to speak with a dentist in Pittsburgh so they can perform an in-depth consultation. During this visit, they’ll examine your mouth, confirm the number of missing teeth (as well as which teeth are missing), and make sure no underlying oral health problems are present.
Dental implants are a great option for replacing teeth, so don’t hesitate to contact a dentist today to get started planning your next treatment!
About Warwick Dentistry
Dr. John and Joyce Warwick are highly trained to perform dental implant treatment, including the surgical phase of treatment where the implants are placed into the jaw. This ensures that you don’t have to travel all over town just to make your smile complete. To schedule an implant consultation, you can contact them through their website.