First, your dentist will meet with you to find out if dental implants are right for your oral health needs. They’ll perform a thorough exam of your mouth, including going over your x-rays and ensuring your jaw bone is healthy enough to support implants. Together, you and your dentist will decide if dental implants will provide the restoration your smile needs, or if your grin would be better suited to alternative restorative options.
Once your treatment has been approved, your dentist will provide a detailed treatment plan and schedule your surgery appointment. During the procedure, your dentist will make a small opening in your gums and place a small, screw-shaped titanium implant into your jaw. Your dentist will then clean and disinfect the area and suture it closed if necessary to begin the healing process.
Once your implants have been placed, your gums will begin to heal right away. Most patients will heal from the initial surgery within 2 weeks. However, the implant itself must be given time to permanently bond with the jaw bone through a process “osseointegration,” which can take anywhere between 3-6 months to complete.
While your implant is bonding with your jaw, you’ll visit our office for a few follow-up appointments to ensure the healing process is going properly. Your dentist will examine your mouth and take impressions/scans of your bite. These will be sent to our trusted dental lab, where they will craft the custom crown, bridge, or arch of teeth that will eventually be fitted to your dental implants.
Once the lab has sent over your completed prosthetic, and your implant has completely bonded with your natural bone, you’ll visit us again for your final appointment. During this visit, your dentist will complete the procedure by attaching the restoration to your dental implant, and permanently securing it with dental cement or another adhesive.
One of the major advantages to dental implants is that they don’t require specialized care. Just practice good oral hygiene by brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily, and visit your dentist every six months for regular cleanings and oral exams. Keeping up good oral health habits can help your dental implant last a lifetime.
Single tooth implants are the most-commonly used dental implant, and consist of 3 primary parts. The dental implant, or post, is a small threaded titanium screw that acts as the foundation and takes the place of the tooth root. The abutment is a part that attaches to the implant & provides support for the crown. The crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that covers the abutment & looks just like a natural tooth, completing the restoration.
To place an implant, the post is threaded directly into the bone of the jaw (replacing the root), where it bonds permanently with the surrounding bone tissue once healed. Once the implant has healed, an impression or scan is taken & sent to the lab where the custom abutment & crown are fabricated. This dental crown will mirror the shape, function, and appearance of a natural tooth to give your smile a natural look and feel. Made from durable materials, single tooth implants can last for decades, and, unlike a partial denture, will never shift, or move around.
Patients who have lost all or most of their teeth can restore their smile with full-arch dental implants. Full-arch implants are a secure, much more permanent and natural-looking alternative to traditional dentures for those patients who are missing all, or most, of their teeth. By placing a series of 4-6 dental implants per arch, you can enjoy the look and function of a new smile that can stand the test of time and is much more cost-effective than replacing each tooth individually.
These dental implants function like artificial roots that allow fixed dental bridge work or a set of hybrid ceramic dentures to attach firmly & restore your smile. Full-arch implants look and feel much more natural than traditional dentures, and will never shift or move when you eat or speak.
For patients looking to more permanently replace a full set of missing teeth, implant-retained dentures are among the best solutions available. After placing 2-4 or more implants in your jaw, a complete set of dentures is attached to the implants with multiple snap-type connectors. These connectors keep the dentures attached to the implant foundations to keep them stable & to ensure that yucky denture adhesives are not needed. Implant-retained dentures can be easily removed at home for daily cleaning & oral care.
Ceramic Implants are 100% metal-free for a holistic solution to your missing teeth. Designed to mimic the natural root & integrate with your bone just like regular implants, they provide support for a variety of restorative options. Ceramic dental implants are an excellent alternative for those patients concerned about having metal in their bodies. These implants are an FDA approved, bio-compatible, tissue friendly solution with no risk of allergic reaction.
Dental implants are made of three main parts: the implant itself, which is a screw-shaped, surgical grade titanium “post”, and the restorative components, usually a dental crown and abutment. A wide range of post sizes are available to ensure every patient gets an implant that fits their smile perfectly. On the other hand, the restoration is a custom-made prosthetic. Once your dentist has completed the placement of your dental implant, they will create impressions/scans of your teeth and gums to send to a dental lab.
The lab will use these impressions/scans to craft a long-lasting dental implant restoration. Most are crafted out of high-strength ceramics and surgical grade titanium. Once the restoration is complete, the lab will send it back to our office, and you’ll come in for your final visit. Your dentist will complete the restoration by securely attaching your dental prosthetic to your implant.
Placed properly, and maintained with good oral hygiene habits, dental implants can last for decades, possibly a lifetime. It’s very common for patients to keep their implants for the rest of their lives.
The restorations, on the other hand, may not last as long. Although restorations like dental crowns, bridges, or overdentures are made from durable materials, they are still exposed to the regular abuse we put them through from chewing and biting. Over time, restorations will likely need to be replaced to keep your smile healthy and functional. People with clenching or grinding habits may wear out or damage their restorations in a shorter time unless a protective nightguard is worn.
Although it’s a rare complication, dental implants can develop gum infections in the exact same way as natural teeth. Known as “peri-implantitis,” a dental implant infection is generally the result of the implant not being kept clean or cared for properly after surgery. The bacteria contained in plaque & tartar can trigger bone loss around an implant if allowed to build up over time. We recommend regular brushing & flossing and cleanings at least twice a year to maintain the health of your implants. A water-pik is also a great tool to help keep the gums around your implant healthy & to protect your investment.
Yes. Bone resorption, or bone loss, occurs when your jaw is no longer stimulated by the natural pressure that comes from chewing and biting. Losing a tooth stops this regular stimulation, causing the jaw bone to resorb over time.
Dental implants integrate directly into the jaw bone, acting as artificial roots that transmit the force of chewing and biting into your jaw bone, providing stimulation and pressure to keep you from losing bone density.
There are indeed several types of dental implants that can be completed in a single visit. The restorations will typically be temporary in nature to keep your bite functional until you have finished healing from your dental implant placement surgery. With this temporary restoration, you’ll be able to speak and eat normally throughout the healing process.
Throughout the healing process, which usually lasts between 3-6 months, your dentist will schedule a series of follow-up visits, to monitor your progress and to take impressions/scans of your teeth. These impressions/scans will be sent to our dental lab, where they will be used to create your own custom-made restoration, which will be a more permanent, durable, and natural-looking prosthetic than your temporaries.
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