Implant Supported Bridge
Columbus, OH
Implant Supported Bridge provided by Dr. Nicholas P. Raptou
and Dr. Isaac Raptou
in Columbus, OH at Raptou Family Dental
 When you lose several teeth on one side of your mouth, you begin to understand how difficult it can be for people to eat, smile, or sometimes speak clearly when they are missing teeth. In the past, the only solutions for missing teeth were either to remove the remaining teeth in the jaw and replace them with dentures or not replace the teeth at all.
Luckily, you now have more options when it comes to dental prosthetics. Raptou Family Dental may determine that you are a good candidate for a dental restoration technique called an implant-supported bridge.
Request an Appointment
Also On This Page:
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants represent a new generation of restorative dentistry for people who have lost teeth. Dentists have used dental bridges for decades as a way to allow their patients to keep the cosmetic look of their teeth with a prosthetic.
Bridges were a perfect fit for people who were missing teeth on one side of their jaw. Dentists could use prosthetic porcelain teeth on a light, strong acrylic base to form the bridge and then cement the bridge to adjacent teeth for structure and security.
However, implants are unlike traditional dentures or bridges. Instead, implant technology uses state-of-the-art techniques to make your new teeth as much like your natural teeth as possible.
In implant dentistry, our dentists will make a dental bridge out of prosthetic teeth. However, the ends of the implant-supported bridge are implanted teeth rather than natural teeth. This gives the bridge support that will last for decades.
Dental Implant Parts
All dental implants have three main parts.
| • |
There is a dental screw, which is implanted directly into your jawbone, so it mimics your natural tooth root. The screws are made from a strong, light metal, such as titanium.
|
| • |
A connection piece, called an abutment, is the middle portion of your implant. It connects the implant screw to your prosthetic tooth.
|
| • |
Your prosthetic tooth itself is attached to the abutment. |
Much like your natural teeth, which connect teeth to your jawbone via your tooth roots with the gums as a framework, implants connect your prosthetic tooth to your jawbone with the implanted screw.
Benefits of an Implant Supported Bridge
Dental implants in the form of implant-supported bridges offer tremendous benefits over traditional restorative dentistry.
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of having dental implants is that your surrounding teeth, gum tissue, and jawbone will treat the implant as if it were a natural tooth. You will have blood flow into your gums, and your jawbone will stay strong. Your remaining teeth will also remain in their proper positions rather than trying to shift around to take up the space left by your missing teeth.
Also, dental implants represent a permanent solution for missing teeth. If you take care of them properly, implants can last throughout your life. Because dental implants look very much like normal teeth, no one will know those are not your natural ones. Implant-supported bridges are excellent for replacing your missing teeth and restoring your smile.
What Is Involved in Getting an Implant Supported Bridge?
Like all dental procedures, your implant bridge procedure begins with a consultation with our dentists. Our Columbus, OH dental professionals will take X-rays and photos of your mouth, and our dentists will need to check your jawbone to ensure that it is strong enough to support an implant-supported bridge.
If your jawbone is not as strong as it needs to be to support an implant, you may need to have a bone graft in the area where your implant will be.
Once you have had your dental consult, our dentists will make a plan for your implant-supported bridge.
Procedure
The first step in an implant-supported bridge procedure is to place the implant post into your jawbone that will support the rest of your implant when it is complete. The dentists will access your jawbone through an incision in your gum tissue. For a typical implant-supported bridge procedure, you will need two implant screws, one on each end of your implanted bridge.
In order to implant your dental screws, our dentists will drill two holes into your jawbone so they can place the screws. Because the screws implant directly into your jawbone, they will need time to heal and fuse into your jawbone.
Most patients take between three to six months after implant screws are placed for the jawbone to heal fully. During this time, as the Journal of the American Dental Association explains, your "bone and gums grow around the implant to hold it in place."
Once your jawbone is healed, you will return to the office for your bridge attachment. Prosthetic bridges are attached to your implant screws with an abutment made of gold, titanium, or porcelain. These abutments will allow your implant-supported bridge to attach to your jawbone through the screws.
While you are getting your abutments, our dental professionals will take measurements and work on the prosthetic crowns for your implant-supported bridge. After the area around your abutments has healed, your implant-supported bridge will be attached the abutments, and the bridge procedure is complete.
Caring for Your Implant Supported Bridge
Now that you have a complete set of teeth in your mouth, it is time to enjoy your new teeth. Implant-supported bridges are extremely easy to care for if you follow a few guidelines.
| • |
First, make sure you use non-abrasive toothpaste when brushing your teeth, as this will allow your prosthetic teeth to last longer.
|
| • |
You will also need to use a soft toothbrush.
|
| • |
You will brush your natural teeth and your implanted bridge the same way that you normally care for your teeth.
|
| • |
Just like your natural teeth, you also need to floss your implant-supported bridge. It is really important to floss underneath the bridge as well as on either side because both food particles and plaque can become trapped there and cause problems. If you do not like using string floss to get underneath your implant, you may want to try using a water flosser, which flosses your teeth with water rather than with a string. |
There are only a couple of recommendations for implants with regard to your diet. Avoid chewing ice, pencils, or pens or opening bottles with your new teeth.
If you love fruits and nuts, you can have them, but be sure they are chopped up to make them easier to chew. Avoid overly sticky candy as well, since that can damage an implant when you are trying to get candy unstuck from your implanted teeth.
Schedule With Your Columbus, OH Dentists Today!
If you think you may be a good candidate for an implant-supported bridge, we would love to help. Reach out to Raptou Family Dental today at (614) 427-0449 to make an appointment.
Request an Appointment
|
