Dental Implants

Dental implants are an excellent way to replace missing teeth. They are very strong, look like natural teeth, and don’t require grinding on the adjacent teeth. Properly taken care of, they can last a lifetime. The actual implant itself is located within the jaw bone and below the gumline. An implant abutment is custom designed to attach to the implant and it is what the crown is cemented to. The implant and abutment system is what supports the new crown which is the part you see and chew with.

The first step in the process is to evaluate the site with a 3 D x-ray to determine the bone volume available to support the implant and to locate any anatomic structures in the areas such as a nerve, large blood vessels, or sinus space. Using the 3 D x-ray and models of your mouth, we can design and build a surgical guide to ensure proper placement of the dental implant to fit within the available bone, avoid local structures and properly support the new crown.

The surgical placement of the implant is done in the office under local anesthetic. It is expected to be pain free during the procedure and the next day. Dental implants require at least 3-4 months to heal and fuse to the bone before we can start building the abutment and the crown. Sometimes we need to re develop gumline contours that may have been lost after the extraction. Sometimes multiple teeth are replaced as crowns in a row. Sometimes an entire arch is replace and supported with dental implants. There are lots of implant treatment options, just ask and we are happy to answer any questions.