Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a safe, medically proven, esthetic alternative to traditional crowns, bridgework, and dentures.  Because implant restorations look and feel more like natural teeth, they offer new levels of comfort, security and confidence over traditional treatments.

How Do They Work?

A dental implant is a small “anchor” made of titanium that is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root.  After osseointegration (when the surrounding bone has healed to the implant), a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant.  This new tooth looks, feels, and performs similar to hour natural teeth.

What Are The Benefits?

Choosing dental implants as a treatment option can offer you a number of significant advantages:

• Maintain anatomy – If you have missing teeth, the bone begins to shrink over time. Unhealthy bone loss can make your jaw line recede and change your facial structure.  Dental implants can help prevent deterioration of the jawbone so your face retains its natural shape.
• Keep your healthy teeth – A better long-term alternative to bridgework, dental implants eliminate the need to grind down healthy teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth. Your own natural healthy teeth are not compromised.
• Security – Securely anchored dental implants do not slip or move. This eliminates some of the key problems of dentures, including poor fit, gum irritation, and pain from exposed nerves.  The result is superior comfort, reliability, and freedom from embarrassment.

What Is Involved In The Implant Procedure?

The dental implant process involves several steps that take place over a time period that averages from 4 to 9 months.  The typical process will include:

• Pre-treatment consultation: After a careful evaluation of your dental and medical health history, your practitioner will determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants.  If you are, you will then have thorough consultations with surgical and prosthetic specialists before your treatment begins.
• Initial implant placement: Your practitioner places the dental implant into your jaw while you are under local anesthesia.  Over the next several months, bone will heal to the surface of the implant, anchoring it into position.  Depending on your particular case, an additional minor procedure creates an opening through which your artificial tooth will emerge.
• Implant prosthetic attachment: During this phase, your practitioner painlessly attaches a prosthetic “post” to the implant.  An impression will be taken, and soon after, an artificial replacement tooth will be created for a natural restoration.
• Proper maintenance: Your dental practitioner will guide you on the proper care and maintenance of our new implants before, during, and after the procedure.  By following a regular routine of careful oral hygiene and regular checkups, your implants will look, function, and feel great for many years to come.

Types Of Dental Implants