In the case of missing teeth, dental implants provide a long term solution. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that your dentist inserts into your jaw bone to hold the replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are a conservative way to restore missing teeth, since implants don’t rely on adjacent teeth for support. Most of the dental implant systems available in the United States are constructed from metals or alloys like Titanium, precious metals, ceramics and polymeric materials.
Dental implants feel and look natural, so that you may forget that you ever lost a tooth. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to be able to chew, speak and smile again with confidence and comfort, you are a perfect candidate for implants.
Indications for Dental Implant
- Replace one or more teeth without affecting the adjacent teeth
- Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture
- Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable
Types of dental implants we perform in our office:
Endosteal implants are placed directly into the bone, like a natural tooth root. It can be used to replace a single tooth, many teeth, or as an anchor for one or more artificial teeth. This type of implant can be used as an alternative for patients with fixed bridges or a removable denture.
During the first visit, the dentist applies local anesthesia and incises the gums to obtain access to the jawbone. The implant is inserted into the bone and the dentist sutures or closes the gum tissue. The stage during which the implant integrates into the bone (osseointegration) takes four to six months.
Once the Osseointegration is complete (connection between the bone and the surface of the implant), the patient returns to the dental office and the implant is ready to receive the new tooth.