Teeth Replacement In Ashland Oregon
Let Ashland Dental Health Restore Your Smile

Teeth are sometimes damaged to the point where they cannot be restored and need to be removed through an extraction. Replacing missing teeth or teeth that were extracted is critical to your overall health and wellbeing. Replacing missing teeth allows you to chew your food better allowing the body to digest your food more easily. The replacement of teeth also helps with better appearance, better pronunciation and improved self esteem.

There are several options available to replace teeth. Dr. Kitchell and Dr. Omura will exam and diagnose the condition of your teeth and gums. After the exam is complete they will discuss the treatment options that are available and that will fit within your medical, personal, aesthetic and financial needs.

Extractions

When a tooth cannot be restored due to extensive decay, trauma, gum disease or finances, the tooth must be extracted. Depending on the location or extent of damage to the tooth, a referral to the oral surgeon may be necessary.

 Bridge

This is a procedure used to replace a missing tooth (or teeth) using the teeth on either side of the missing space. The teeth on either side of the missing space are prepared similarly to a crown preparation making sure to leave enough room for material to “bridge” the missing tooth space.

A variety of materials, such as metal with a porcelain coating, enable a bridge to match the appearance and color of other teeth in the mouth so that they appear natural and will satisfy your aesthetic dental needs. One down-side of bridges is that if complications arise with one of the anchor teeth, the one tooth problem can become a three (or more) tooth problem.

Implants

Dental implants are a great long term solution to replace missing teeth. They can replace anything from one tooth, to an entire arch of teeth and are also a great way to secure dentures from sliding around in the mouth. Implants are titanium posts that are placed in the upper and lower jaw and integrate in with the bone.
Replacing teeth with implants means there is no daily removal or replacement of false teeth, as is the case with dentures. Implants can also be flossed like natural teeth, without having to thread the floss under a bridge and does not inflict extensive treatment on the neighboring teeth.

Dr. Kitchell and Dr. Omura work with oral surgeons around the valley in order to pick the correct type and placement of the implants. After the titanium post is placed into the bone by the oral surgeon and the implant is completely integrated with the bone (usually after a few months)  Dr. Kitchell and Dr. Omura restore the implant with the appropriate restoration for ideal function and aesthetics. This whole process can be a time consuming one, requiring multiple appointments. The effort, however, is worth it because these are the best restorations dentistry can offer

Dentures

Dentures are artificial teeth that can be removed from the mouth. There are both complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures replace all of the teeth on the top or on the bottom of the mouth.  Removable partial dentures can replace one tooth or several teeth.

Dentures can be customized to match the color of your gums and in the case of partial dentures the color can be customized to match the remaining teeth.

Dentures can be both a long and short term solution. The problem with prolonged use of dentures is that the jaw bone can atrophy. Meaning the bone density shrinks. Because of atrophy, implants may not be an option after prolonged denture use.

Please call us today at (541) 482-1744 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kitchell or Dr. Omura to discuss the best way to replace your teeth.  Our staff at Ashland Dental and Oral Health would love to make sure you have a completely stunning smile.