Missing teeth, or losing a tooth, can be a traumatic experience and affects daily life for many patients: chewing food is difficult in many cases and speech can also be affected. Frequently, embarrassment is also a factor and patients find themselves trying not to smile and avoiding social situations.
The restorative options for replacing a missing tooth – or teeth- are dentures, dental bridges or dental implants. In most cases, unless a patient is not a good candidate, Dr. Finlay and Dr. Lim, leading Annapolis area restorative and cosmetic dentists, recommend dental implants. Dentures and dental bridges can offer patients natural looking replacement teeth that are removable for cleaning and can be adjusted for fit as needed. However, this feature can also cause discomfort for many patients who may find it difficult to eat certain foods due to slippage. Additionally, over time the jaw bone may begin to recede and dentures will begin to feel loose and uncomfortable.
Dental implants, while typically more costly up front, offer many long term benefits and provide a natural looking AND functioning replacement for lost teeth. Anchored into the jaw bone with a tiny titanium post, a dental implant acts much like a natural tooth. The post can also help to preserve jaw bone, minimizing bone recession that naturally occurs when a tooth is removed.
Dr. Finlay will place a custom made crown on the post once it heals which will feel secure and blend with surrounding natural teeth. Implants do not require patients to watch what they eat because they are permanently attached to the bone!
Patients with ill fitting full dentures often choose to replace them with implant secured dentures: Dr. Finlay or Dr. Lim permanently secure the dental bridge or dentures with strategically placed implants. No more slipping dentures or adhesives!
Dr. Finlay works with local top oral surgeons and uses cutting edge digital technology in his Arnold dental office to provide high quality care for patients needing to replace missing teeth with dental implants or secure dentures with implants.