Implants
An implant is a “root” device, usually made of titanium, used to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth. Virtually all dental implants placed today are root-form endosseous implants, i.e., they appear similar to an actual tooth root (and thus possess a “root-form”) and are placed within the bone. The bone of the jaw accepts and osseointegrates (the fusion of the implant surface with the surrounding bone) with the titanium post.
Dental implants will fuse with bone, however they lack the Periodontal ligament so they will feel slightly different than natural teeth during chewing.
Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses, including crowns, implant-supported bridges or dentures. They can also be used as anchorage for orthodontic tooth movement.
Partial Dentures
When several teeth are missing, we may recommend a partial denture for replacing teeth. A partial can solve a number of issues caused by missing teeth. Missing teeth can change the biting forces on the teeth around the space, teeth can start to shift, and/or the opposing teeth begin to extrude out on their sockets. These changes can cause a series of other problems, proper diagnosis with thorough examination is recommended.