FILLING THE GAP

Sick of looking at that gap caused by having lost a tooth years ago?  You have two excellent options.  First of all, nothing can take the place of a healthy natural tooth.  The next best solution, knowing what I know, you can't beat a dental implant.  A dental implant is a titanium (same as used in hip and knee replacements) cylinder that is surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw.  It is a freestanding unit, meaning it is not connected to any teeth.  Your jawbone actually fuses to the titanium metal, making it actually stronger than your natural tooth.  The beauty of this implant is because, being metal, it is NEVER susceptible to decay.  Furthermore, it is more resilient to gum disease, since it doesn't develop the same "pocketing" as natural teeth.  A crown or cap is then placed over the implant, and you have a strong, stable and comfortable tooth, allowing you to bite and chew naturally.  A dental implant looks good, feels good and lasts a long time.

The second way to fill in your missing tooth is known as a bridge.  A bridge utilizes the two natural teeth on either side of the space where your missing tooth was extracted.  A bridge depends on the health and strength of these two supporting teeth.  Therefore, a dentist needs to determine whether these two teeth have solid bone support and have good tooth structure and no gum disease.  A bridge is then fabricated by placing a crown over the two natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth and connecting a replacement tooth to these crowns therefore bridging the gap.  It is then "permanently" cemented over the natural two teeth.  Today, these bridges can be fabricated from a stunningly beautiful and strong material called zirconium.  No metal is used in the fabricating process, producing a lifelike and natural restoration.  The advances in dentistry are AMAZING!!!