Dental Implants

Confidence in your appearance and your teeth can affect how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally.

Dental implants can be used to:

• Replace missing teeth

• Secure existing dentures to aid in chewing
  

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root. Using a titanium screw placed below the gum and fused to the jawbone, implants can be used to replace single missing teeth (implant supported crown) or multiple missing teeth (implant supported bridge). Implants can also be used to anchor partial and full dentures.

There are two main types: conventional implants and mini-implants.

Conventional implants come in a variety of diameters and lengths. They are composed of two pieces, the implant, which is below the gum, and the abutment, which connects to the implant and protrudes through the gum. The caps, bridges or dentures are then cemented onto the abutments.

Mini-implants are one-piece, narrow diameter posts that can be inserted directly through the gum and into the bone without surgery or stitches. Unlike conventional implants, mini implants can be placed in a single office visit and because there is no healing period, they can be used immediately.

What to expect:

• First visit: Examination, patient interview, review medical history, discuss treatment plan and fees.
• Second visit: Patient takes preoperative antibiotics and pain medication. A small amount of Novocain is used at each site that will receive an implant prior to insertion. The inside of the existing denture, cap or bridge is modified to receive small attachments, which clip onto the implant posts. The bite is adjusted and the patient is given post-operative instructions on how to insert and remove the denture. One or more denture adjustment visits may be needed.

After placement, the implants are cleaned with a toothbrush and toothpaste in the same way teeth are cleaned. Implants should last indefinitely, however the dentures or caps placed on them may need periodic adjustment, repair or replacement.

Under proper conditions, implants can last a lifetime.