Implants & Dentures
Replacement Teeth with a Natural Look and Feel
Are you suffering from missing teeth?
Discuss with Dr. Lui the potential role that implants or dentures can play to enhance the look, feel and function of your smile.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are a great option for replacing missing teeth. Implants look and feel like natural teeth and are permanently rooted in your mouth to give you the functionality you would expect of real teeth. Unlike traditional dentures and bridgework, implants are anchored in the mouth. Posts are installed in the jaw and act as a base or anchor for artificial teeth, bridges or dentures.
The benefits of implants are both esthetic and functional:
- They have the look and feel of real teeth, giving you a more natural smile.
- They stay in place so you can eat what you like without worrying about loose dentures
- They can improve speech by securing replacement teeth in the mouth.
- They protect remaining teeth from drifting and prevent bone loss.
If you are only missing one tooth, one implant and replacement tooth is enough. However, if you are missing several teeth in a row, a few strategically placed implants can support a permanent bridge (a set of replacement teeth). Similarly, if you have lost all of your teeth, a full bridge or full denture can be permanently fixed in your mouth with a strategic number of implants.
The ideal candidate for implants is a non-smoker who has good oral health, including a sufficient amount of bone in the jaw and healthy gums with no sign of gum disease.
Dentures
Dentures are natural-looking removable replacement teeth. There are two types of dentures: Complete and Partial
Complete dentures are most often referred to as ‘false teeth’. They are used when all natural teeth are missing. Partial dentures are made up of one or more artificial teeth attached to a metal frame held in place by clasps that fit onto nearby natural teeth. They are used to fill in where permanent teeth have been removed. You can take the partial denture out yourself for cleaning at night. Complete dentures are also removable as they are held in place by suction.
Both complete and partial dentures, just like natural teeth, require daily maintenance to stay clean and keep bacteria from growing inside of your mouth.