Several options are available for restoring your smile if you’ve lost teeth or had some extracted. Two highly effective options for replacing missing teeth are dental implants and dentures. Each method offers several benefits and can help minimize the unwanted side effects of tooth loss. Dr. Alexander Quezada and Dr. Danielle Duarte, the experienced dentists at Colonial Dental Group in Glenview, IL, can help you decide whether dental implants or dentures are right for you. It's important to note that dentists at Colonial Dental Group do not place implants themselves, but can refer you to someone who does. 

Dental Implants

Dental implants are a long-lasting and versatile tooth replacement option. They can replace a single missing tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch. Dental implants are placed directly in the jawbone and function similarly to the roots of natural teeth by anchoring replacement teeth securely in place. Dental implants are used with crowns, bridgework, or implant-supported dentures to fill in the gaps where teeth are missing. They are extremely secure because they become permanently fused to the bone tissue in the jaw over time.

The benefits of restoring your smile with dental implants are extensive. Some of the primary benefits of this exciting tooth-replacement method include:

• Securely anchor a variety of tooth restorations
• Longest-lasting tooth replacement option
• Help prevent bone loss caused by tooth loss
• Dental implant-supported teeth are as easy to care for as natural teeth
• Minimize many of the side effects of tooth loss, such as facial sagging
• Dental implants do not adversely affect or strain the adjacent natural teeth

Since dental implants are placed in the jawbone, it is necessary to have sufficient bone tissue. Unfortunately, bone loss can follow tooth loss as the body naturally reabsorbs bone tissue that is not supporting teeth. 

Dentures

Dentures are another option for restoring your smile following tooth loss. Several types of dentures are available to suit different needs. Two types of removable dentures include full and partial. Full dentures are needed when there are no natural teeth left along either the upper or lower arch. Partial dentures are used when a patient still has some natural teeth and just needs to fill in the gaps around those teeth.

Another type of denture is a fixed or implant-supported denture. This type of denture is permanently fixed in place with multiple dental implants. Fixed dentures are extremely secure and long-lasting. No matter what type of dentures are chosen, they all offer many benefits. Dentures complete your smile, restore biting and chewing functions, reduce facial sagging due to tooth loss, and so much more. Our knowledgeable dentists can help you select the right tooth replacement option for your needs.

When it comes to restoring your smile, there are several options to choose from. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Quezada or Dr. Duarte to learn more about replacing missing teeth by calling Colonial Dental Group in Glenview, IL, at (847) 729-2233.