Implant Dentistry by Drs. Ramsey and Gadbois in Gainesville, Georgia
Why Choose Drs. Ramsey & Gadbois for your Implant Dentistry needs?
Finding the right Implant Dentist in the Gainesville, Georgia area is certainly no simple task. It's important to do your research, talk to friends and consider your options. However, when it comes to choosing an Implant Dentist who can help you get the smile you've always desired, the choice is clear.
Please give us a call today or click on the "Schedule an Appointment" button if you'd like to learn more about the various options available to you.
Rest assured, once you meet Drs. Ramsey and Gadbois and the entire team here at our practice, you'll know you've come to the right place for implant and cosmetic dentistry.
What are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is an appliance used to replace the roots of teeth. The implant is surgically attached to the jaw bone and an artificial tooth is attached to the top of the implant, creating a natural looking, undetectable replacement for the missing tooth. In the event that more than one tooth is missing, several implants may provide a base for a series of artificial teeth known as a fixed bridge. Implants can even be used to secure a full set of removable dentures for people who have no remaining natural teeth. This can greatly improve chewing ability and reduce the risk of choking.
It generally takes about six months for the surgical implant to heal before the final installation of the artificial tooth or teeth can be finished.
What are the Advantages of Dental Implants?
Dental implants with artificial teeth are the closest thing to regrowing your natural teeth. They are strong, stable, durable and virtually undetectable. By filling gaps left by missing teeth, implants can provide better chewing ability and head off jaw joint problems. They are far superior to removable dentures.
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
Dental implants are excellent, state-of-the-art restorations and have few disadvantages when compared to alternatives such as dentures. However, dental implants do require surgery and time to heal, and they are initially more expensive than dentures or fixed bridges. These disadvantages are offset by the ease of use, saved time and long term health benefits of implants.
Single Tooth Implants
Single tooth implants are an excellent way to replace a single missing tooth. Because implants act as an artificial root for a false tooth or crown, they function almost exactly like a natural tooth.
It is very important to replace missing teeth, because missing teeth leads to bone loss and the shifting of other teeth over time as they "cave in" to fill the space. This can lead to many problems, including, difficulty chewing, tooth decay and jaw pain.
The Initial Procedure
The modern osseointegrated implant, a solution benefiting millions of patients since the early 1970s, is composed of two parts: the titanium base and a tooth-like porcelain crown. On the first day of treatment, a titanium base is screwed past the patient's gums and deep into the jawbone. This is sometimes facilitated by the drilling of preliminary pilot holes. Titanium is considered a bioactive metal. This means that the implant will not be rejected by the body's systems and, in fact, "fools" the surrounding bone tissue into accepting it as a natural tooth.
The dentist will then install a temporary cap which both protects the healing tissue and helps mold the gingiva (gum tissue) into a more natural shape. The patient is generally sedated with a general anesthesia for this first procedure, though sedation options will vary from patient to patient.
Healing
The patient should allow three to six months for the healing process to complete. During this period, osteoblasts (bone tissue cells) actually grow into and around the groves and rough edges of the titanium screw. This bonding of bone with metal provides the implants with an extremely robust structural foundation.
The temporary cap allows for safe and normal chewing activity during the healing process.
Final Installation
Once the gum and bone tissue has healed, the dentist will remove the temporary cap and affix a permanent tooth-shaped crown to the implant base. The crown is made from a highly durable porcelain, custom-designed to perfectly match your smile's shape and color.
Finally, the patient has a single tooth implant that will function very similar to the natural tooth it is replacing.
Bridges and Implants
A traditional bridge is an appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was.
The disadvantage of a traditional bridge is that the teeth on either side of the gap must be prepared for crowns. If those teeth are healthy, this procedure will require the destruction of several healthy teeth.
Fortunately, bridges can be attached to implants instead of the adjacent healthy teeth. This means that the dentist doesn't need to remove any healthy tooth tissue. It also allows the dentist to place a bridge in an area where a traditional bridge would likely fail.
The implants provide an anchor for the bridge, holding it in place by creating a false root.
Unlike dentures, a bridge bonded to implants is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that might otherwise be spent on future dental treatment.
Dentures and Implants
A traditional denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and adjacent tissues. It is made of acrylic resin, sometimes in combination with various metals. Complete dentures replace all the teeth in a jaw and fit directly on the gums and supporting bone. Partial dentures fill in the spaces created by missing teeth, resting partly on the gums and partly on the remaining teeth.
Dentures are not attached to anything and simply rest on the gums. This means that the denture can get dislodged when chewing and often limits the realistic selection of food choices for the denture wearer.
Fortunately, dentures can be attached to implants to help improve their fit and greatly increase chewing ability. As an added benefit, the implants prevent the steady bone loss caused by traditional dentures.
Dentures attached to implants give support to the cheeks and lips creating a more youthful appearance. Speaking, chewing, swallowing and smiling are also improved due to the confidence that stems from having the dentures firmly secured in the mouth.
Dr. Ramsey & Dr. Gadbois
The minute you walk through the door, you will know you've come to the right place.
Our office's relaxing atmosphere and inviting team members will make you feel right at home. Our use of technology - including panoramic x-rays and mercury-free, tooth-colored restorations - will help you and your family maintain a lifetime of healthy smiles.
So whether you're looking for total smile makeovers or simply a dentist who can help maintain your family's smiles, please join us. It's the best of both worlds - old-fashioned relationships and today's modern dentistry - and it really is something to smile about!