By Mark Dent
When an aged individual has several missing teeth in a row, an implant supported bridge is an effective treatment for replacing them.
It is very similar to an ordinary dental bridge, but instead of being supported by natural teeth, dental implants are used to solidly fix the prosthesis in the patient’s mouth. Usually, for every absent tooth, one implant is inserted within a jawbone to hold the dental bridge. The replacement teeth are then constructed from a solid piece of ceramic and installed on abutments which have been fixed to the implants.
When is an Implant Supported Bridge Used?
Implant supported bridges are an increasingly popular treatment option to replace 2 or more adjacent missing teeth. The implants will be inserted alongside the patient’s natural teeth; these teeth and the adjoining gum tissue should be in a healthy condition and free from tooth decay and gum disease. If the patient lacks sufficient bone density to form a solid foundation for the implants, bone augmentation or a bone graft procedure can be used to build up the area of the jaw at the bridgework site prior to the implants being placed.
An implant supported bridge may be decided upon as the most suitable type of treatment for patients who run the risk of exerting an excessive amount of force on individually crowned dental implants. I is a favorable option for patients who suffer from a condition called Bruxism which causes an involuntary grinding of teeth or clenching of the jaw and puts a great deal of strain on singular implants, increasing the likelihood of complications due to the implant becoming loose. This type of bridge spreads the load across all of the implants resulting in a reduction of pressure on the individual implants.
How the Dental Implants are Placed
Following the initial assessment, treatment planning process and any necessary remedial treatment, the dental surgeon will drill one small hole in the jawbone of the patient to accommodate each of the implants. The implants – which consist of a tapered and threaded piece of titanium – are then screwed into place. During the next six months the dental implants and jawbone will bond to each other providing a solid foundation for the dental bridge. In some instances healing abutments are fixed to the implants upon which a temporary bridge can be supported. In other cases, healing caps are placed on the top of the implants, the gum tissue is stitched over the top and the patient is left with no teeth in that area throughout the entire healing period.
In instances where the gum has been allowed to grow over the top of the implants, the second stage of the treatment involves removing the gum tissue from the top of the implants and attaching small metal posts know as abutments. An impression of the patient’s mouth is then taken allowing an accurate model of the mouth to be made in a dental lab. The model is then used to create a bridge out of a solid piece of ceramic which will accurately fit on the implants and provide the wearer with a comfortable bite.
Following the placement of abutments, the patient’s gums are allowed to heal for approximately 2 weeks with a temporary bridge fitted over the top; after this, the patient returns to the dental clinic for a third and final time to have the permanent bridge fitted.
Advantages of an Implant Supported Bridge
1) Some common treatment options to replace multiple teeth – such as removable partial dentures or a conventional dental bridge – rely upon support from the adjacent natural teeth. A conventional bridge requires the two natural teeth on either side to be reduced in size unlike when implants are used as a support mechanism.
2) An implant supported bridge is less expensive than having one implant placed for each individual missing tooth.
3) Other alternative treatment options include implant retained overdentures and removable partial dentures can become loose and prevent the wearer from effectively chewing food.
4) The implants will prevent bone loss associated with the extraction the teeth. Such bone loss is leads to collapsed facial features around the mouth, the appearance of premature aging and an unattractive smile.
5)With a traditional bridge, the cement which holds the appliance in place can in some instances be washed out, causing the teeth which support the bridge to decay. This does not occur with an implant-supported bridge.
The use of implants to support a bridge is an excellent solution to replace missing teeth; providing the patient with improved aesthetics and functionality in comparison with implant supported dentures or partial dentures, at a price which is considerably less than the cost of replacing each missing tooth with individual crowns supported by implants.
About the Author: Dental Implant Supported Bridges are provided by Dentalcare Plus in their four
Cosmetic Dentistry
clinics in different areas of Southern England. They are dedicated to proving advanced dental treatments to the highest standards whist maintaining the lowest cost
Teeth Implants
in the UK.
Source:
isnare.com
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