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At our Holistic Dental Centers’ offices in Cary and Cornelius, we want you to enjoy a lifetime of beautiful, healthy smiles. In order to do this, our primary goal has always been to keep your natural teeth healthy. Unfortunately, we know that is not always possible. Periodontal disease, decay, or trauma can necessitate tooth extraction. In some cases, you may already be missing a tooth. In either instance, filling the gap through a natural restoration becomes our priority.
In most cases, patients have two options for replacing missing teeth: dental implants or bridges. For an implant restoration, an artificial root is surgically placed into the jawbone and covered with a dental crown. For a dental bridge, an artificial tooth is held in place via adjacent anchor teeth. Both of these options can restore functionality to your mouth and make everyday tasks like chewing and speaking as easy as they once were. In addition, fixing the gap prevents your other teeth from shifting out of place and causing further problems.
In years past, both implants and bridges traditionally contained metal. Implants were made of titanium metal and bridges were composed of metal framework and required reduction in the teeth adjacent to the gap to allow room for the crowns. At Holistic Dental Centers, we believe in providing biocompatible alternatives that take a natural and conservative approach to restoring functionality.
Biocompatible bridges are similar to traditional bridges, with a few very important exceptions:
With metal-free bridges, the replacement tooth is held in place with inlays-onlays versus crowns, saving the adjacent teeth. Dr. McMillan and the entire team believe that there is a powerful connection between the health of a patient’s mouth and entire body. We keep this connection in mind during all of restorations and are careful to choose only the most natural materials in all of our treatments.
If you are missing teeth and would like to learn more about our biocompatible and metal-free options for restoration, call us today to schedule a consultation.