Patient education · Freedom Dental Implants
The short answer
Dr. Ackerman explains how mini implants can support a bridge when several teeth are missing in a row. Her process includes temporary teeth on implant placement day, followed by a final bridge about four to five weeks later after checking healing.
A removable partial may replace missing teeth but still feel uncomfortable or inconvenient. In this video, Dr. Regan Ackerman explains how she uses mini implants and a bridge to replace several missing teeth with a restoration that stays in place.
So if you come in and you’re missing more than one tooth, say you’re missing, 2 or 3 teeth in a row, maybe you have a partial that you’re using right now and you hate it. It comes in and out, it rubs, we can certainly help you out. So the way that process would work, if you’ve been missing those teeth for a while, a couple months, you’re ready for implants. So next time I see you I would get you numb, just local anesthetic. I don’t have to put you to sleep or anything. I will place the mini dental implants.
So like this model’s for 3 teeth here. We’ll place anywhere from 3 to 4 implants. A lot of times when we do a molar tooth, we’re going to use 2 of the mini implants. Place the mini implants. You’ll leave that day with a temporary on there, and then you’ll come back about 4 to 5 weeks later.
For the final bridge teeth, when you come back, usually I don’t have to get you numb or anything. I’m just going to remove the temporary. We’re going to check your implants, make sure everything healed properly, try in the teeth, make sure you like them and I like them, and then they get cemented on permanently onto those implants. So now you can go and chew all the food you were missing chewing. Number one thing is usually steak.
It is for me. So, we can certainly replace if you’re missing 2 teeth in a row, 3 teeth in a row, 4 teeth in a row. I’ve had several people come in, they’re missing like their front 4 teeth. They’ve had a partial forever and they hate it. They want to get rid of it.
I place the implants, leave with a temporary that day, get rid of the partial that day. So you’ll have that temporary for about 4 to 5 weeks, and then you come back, get the final teeth in the front, and no more partial.
If you’re interested in learning more about replacing several missing teeth, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Regan Ackerman at Freedom Dental Implants in Louisville, Kentucky. We look forward to giving you the freedom to smile.
Planning support for the replacement teeth
The number of implants depends on the teeth being replaced. Dr. Ackerman notes that a molar may need two mini implants. She also explains that the temporary bridge is replaced only after she checks healing and confirms the fit of the final teeth.
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