Implants III

Fixed Resorative

As stated previously, implant placement is the state of the art method for replacing missing teeth. The most popular restorative option is fixed crown and bridge. This option allows the patient to have an impant placed and a crown made over the implant simulating a natural tooth and crown. This fixture does not come out of the mouth and flossing and brushing are similar to a natural tooth. If multiple teeth are missing an implant can be placed for each missing tooth but that is not always advisable or feasible. In these instances, a fixed bridge can be placed to cover the implant and a pontic (replacement tooth) used to replace the missing teeth in between the implants. Factors that influence this decision include the amount of available bone in the implant location, the type of bone (dense or thin), the patient’s bite, the number of missing teeth, and esthetics in the smile zone.