Implant Restoration

There are many options to fill the space left behind from a missing tooth. Dental implants have the greatest potential to be a permanent solution available for replacing missing teeth. Implants are widely considered the modern-day solution to missing teeth as they provide an aesthetically pleasing, potentially permanent answer to a serious problem. The team at Southern Cross Dental provides dental implant procedures to help their Colorado Springs, CO patients restore their smile and fix their bite after implant surgery.

 

When you lose a tooth, it is important to act quickly to fill the space. Apart from the cosmetic issues, patients who have missing teeth will often suffer from compromised chewing efficiency and tooth drifting. The space left behind from a missing tooth causes the other teeth to drift into that space which can lead to misaligned teeth. When teeth become misaligned, they become more difficult to clean, creating areas around the teeth that can collect bacteria. This can cause gum disease and or tooth decay that may eventually lead to additional tooth loss if left untreated.

 

Receiving a dental implant is a surgical procedure and patients may or may not be put under a general anesthetic. A dental surgeon will make an incision into the patients gum line where they will insert the implant. The implant will be secured into the bone where it will need to sit for three to six months so the bone can grow around it, this process is called osseointegration. After the surgery, patients will visit the doctors at Southern Cross Dental to receive a crown over the implant. This is done so the patient’s teeth do not drift and they can eat normally. Once the implant is secured, your doctor will place an abutment on top of the exposed implant that will support a crown.  

Dentures and Partials

Dentures are an option that many of our patients choose at Southern Cross Dental. Available in both full and partial, dentures serve as a removable replacement for missing teeth.

 

If providing patients with conventional full dentures, either Dr. Navid Rahimpour or Dr. Faranak Rahimpour will remove all the teeth from the patient’s mouth. Afterwards, the gums are given time to heal before dentures are placed. The patient would be without teeth during this healing process, which can take a couple months.

 

Immediate full dentures forgo this healing process with no teeth. Prior to having their teeth removed, the dentist takes measurements of the patient’s mouth, so that dentures are ready after teeth have been removed. This type of full denture requires a follow-up visit to refit the dentures wince the jaw bone will slightly change shape as the mouth heals.

 

Partial dentures are another option for those who do not need all their teeth to be removed. This makes them similar to bridges, but partial dentures are not permanent fixtures.

 

Whichever dentures our patients choose, they take time getting used to, and even though they are not real teeth, they should still be cared for as if they were. They should be brushed before removal and should be placed in room temperature water or cleaning solution overnight.

White Fillings

The metal amalgam fillings are rarely used by dentists because of how many disadvantages there are. Our team here at Southern Cross Dental prefers to use white fillings, which are made of sturdy composite resin for a long-standing filling that fills cavities and helps with other imperfections of the tooth. White fillings match the exact shade of the tooth so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

 

The composite resin of white fillings is first mixed to the right shade, and then molded over the tooth for whatever purpose it is serving. It dries quickly and with the right care, can last about 10-15 years.

Our patients here at Southern Cross Dental have found the following benefits by getting white fillings:

• They are made to match your natural tooth color.
• They do not contain toxic materials or mercury.
• White fillings don’t require enamel removal.
• They do not contract from temperature changes.
• It can solve other problems like gaps, discoloration or chips.

White fillings are used in our dental office as often as possible, providing these and other benefits to our patients.