Dental Implants

A dental implant is a tooth loss solution that, from the root to the top of the tooth, are designed to look, feel, and function like your natural teeth. Advances in technology have made it possible to replace a single-tooth, multiple teeth, or even a full denture.

The three-part design consists of the screw, the abutment, and the crown. These work together to provide you with a secure, natural-looking tooth replacement. The screw replaces your tooth’s root by integrating with the bone beneath your gums. This fusion with the bone supports the custom-designed crown, which is shaped to look just like a natural tooth. The crown or custom bridge is attached to the implant screw using a small post called an abutment, which creates a safe and permanent hold to ensure that your tooth or teeth will never slip or fall out.

The Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants provide many benefits over traditional tooth replacement options; rather than resting above the gums like most prosthetic options, they protect your overall oral health by preventing shifting of teeth and bone loss. Dental implants also will:

• Give you freedom to enjoy your favorite foods. The secure, permanent hold between the titanium implant and your jaw bone functions just like your natural tooth root.
• Look natural. Whether you replace one or all of your teeth, you will be able to smile with confidence knowing that your new teeth look beautiful.
• Give you options. Whether you want to replace one or many teeth, implants can support a variety of different prosthetic attachments to fit your needs and can also be used to anchor dentures.
• Preserve the health and appearance of your mouth. When you have missing teeth, the bone beneath your gums can start to diminish, causing your mouth and lips to look more collapsed. Extensive bone loss can cause oral health complications, but dental implants naturally stimulate bone retention just like your natural teeth. This stimulation preserves the structure of your oral and facial bones. Additionally, implants prevent dental shifting and other problems associated with missing teeth.

The Dental Implant Process

This process is a joint effort between you, your oral surgeon, dentist, and the dental laboratory. Every patient is different; however, here’s the process most patients experience:

1. First, a thorough oral examination with our dentist is needed. We will review your potential treatment plan pending verification by a board-certified oral surgeon.
2. Next comes a consultation with an oral surgeon, which our team will help coordinate. During this appointment, your surgeon will take any necessary scans to finalize your treatment plan and determine the best course of action for your procedure. This is a good time to ask your oral surgeon any questions you have.
3. You’re ready for your procedure. Your oral surgeon will place the screw into the missing tooth site using advanced, custom-made surgical guides to ensure a proper fit. After the placement of the dental implant, your implant site must heal and allow time for bone to implant integration.
4. After the healing phase is complete, your oral surgeon will attach the healing abutments to your implant.
5. The final step is to restore your implant(s). At this time, your dentist will take impressions, intraoral scans, and fabricate the ideal restorative component such as a crown, bridge, or other permanent tooth attachment.