SoCal Smiles proudly serves patients in the Rancho Santa Margarita area, providing them with diverse dental treatments to meet their needs. This includes general dental care services and advanced restorative treatments, such as using dental implants to support restorations in tooth gaps, which restores the appearance and functionality of smiles.

We’d like to go over dental implants briefly and consider the different kinds of restorations that they can be used to support.

About Dental Implants

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically implanted into the jawbone and gum tissue of a person’s tooth gaps. When in place, the dental implants provide a secure hold of a dental restoration/appliance, a hold that is comparable to natural tooth roots.

Why Dental Implants Are Ideal for People Missing Teeth

Dental implants are much more secure and stable than even the strongest dental adhesives, meaning that is it very unlikely for an appliance supported by dental implants to fall out when a person is eating or speaking.

In addition, the dental implants provide the bone and soft tissue a structure to support. This prevents bone loss and gum recession from occurring in the tooth gap, which are common problems experienced as a result of tooth loss. Only dental implants are able to prevent this recession of hard and soft tissue.

Single-Tooth Replacement with an Implant-Supported Dental Crown

For people who are missing just one tooth in a tooth gap, the ideal restoration to use is a dental crown. In these cases, a single dental implant will be used to hold the dental crown in place. The crown will be crafted to resemble a natural tooth sitting in its proper position in the mouth.

Implant-Supported Dental Bridges

For people who are missing multiple teeth in a gap, the ideal restoration to use is a dental bridge. The bridge will often be held in place by multiple dental implants, strategically placed to maximize the hold on the bridge.

Implant-Supported Dentures

For patients who are missing many teeth or all teeth along the dental arch, they will best be helped through the use of implant-supported dentures. These restorations cover a larger amount of the dental arch. Partial dentures or full dentures may be used depending on the needs of the patient.

To support a partial denture or a full denture, multiple dental implants will need to be placed. We will be sure to discuss the different kinds of dentures and which might be better for your during the consultation.

Are dental implants ideal for me?

Dental implants may be the right option for your dental care needs if you are missing teeth and have good jawbone density and healthy gum tissue in the area of the tooth gap. You should also have realistic expectations about the nature of treatment and what it entails.

During your visit, we will be sure to go over all of your options for address your tooth loss and help you make the smartest choices when it comes to your dental health and wellness.

Learn More About Implant Dentistry

For more information about dental implants and how they can help you have a healthy and beautiful smile again, we encourage you to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. At SoCal Smiles, we are committed to helping patients achieve the very best health and wellness.