Double Tooth Implant
Before a periodontist or other dental specialist places dental implants in a patient’s mouth, they first assess the condition of the patient’s gum tissue and the bones in their jaw. Traditionally, a dental implant is placed for each tooth that will be restored; the dental implant serves as a replacement root for the tooth, providing stability and strength to the tooth and supporting the jawbone that surrounds the implant. While this method is effective for patients who have a sufficient amount of healthy bone in their jaw, if a patient is lacking in overall bone mass in their jaw, or has an uneven distribution of bone mass throughout their jaw, dentists can place more than one replacement crown onto a single dental implant, maximizing the amount of bone available. The implant itself can be strategically placed in areas where the bone is particularly healthy and strong and can support more than one crown, or a few strategically placed implants can support a permanent denture. These methods provide all the advantages of traditional dental implants, including stability and permanence, while requiring less available healthy bone mass.
During an initial consultation with a periodontist or other dental implant specialist, your dental specialist will examine your gums and jawbone and review your medical history. This initial consultation is a very important part of the dental implant treatment plan and can reveal health issues or concerns that should be addressed before implants can be safely placed. If gum disease is discovered during this initial evaluation, your periodontist will devise and implement a treatment plan that allows the gums to heal before implants are placed. If a patient lacks sufficient healthy bone mass to securely place implants, you and your periodontist will discuss the possibility of bone grafts, which encourage additional healthy bone to grow and help provide a strong foundation for dental implants. For some patients with certain systemic health issues, dental implants may be riskier than they would be for others, and this will also be discussed at an initial consultation, which should include a complete medical and dental history.
If you and your periodontist determine that your jaw can best support fewer dental implants, rather than having an implant for each individual tooth, you may want to consider an implant-supported bridge. Traditional bridges rely on the adjacent teeth to support the bridge, which can put a disproportionate amount of wear on these supporting teeth and on the bone that holds them in place. Implant-supported bridges are bridges, or shortened rows of teeth, that are affixed to the top of a dental implant that is surgically placed into the jawbone. Once the dental implant heals and fuses with the surrounding bone, which takes a few months, it will help preserve the bone in which it’s placed. The implant will also help take the pressure off the bones and teeth that may have once supported a bridge, distributing it more evenly throughout the mouth. Without a dental implant present, the bone will gradually resorb into the body and can cause the smile to collapse or appear sunken, but dental implants fuse with the bone and encourage the growth of healthy bone, preventing this sunken appearance. Implant-supported bridges can also contribute to a patient’s confidence in their smile and to an improved ability to speak clearly and eat a variety of foods, even when there is more than one crown supported by a single implant. Your periodontist or other dental specialist will review these options with you when you meet for an initial consultation, and you can learn whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants and devise a satisfying treatment plan that will work for you.