Dental Implants

Dental Implants

Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago by a Swedish scientist named Per-Ingvar Branemark. Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures. Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of missing or lost teeth. Today, implant techniques provide a wide range of tooth replacement solutions including:

• Single Tooth Replacement
• Anterior Replacement
• Posterior Replacement
• Full Upper Replacement

Types of Implants

There are three main types of implants:

• The root implant
• The plate form implant
• The subperiosteal implant

The root implant—by far, the most popular—is the most effective because it mirrors the size and shape of a patient’s natural tooth. This implant is often as strong as the patient’s original tooth. The implant or artificial root is placed into the jawbone under local anesthesia, then allowed to heal and integrate with the bone. Once the healing process is completed and the jawbone is attached to the implant, the patient returns to the dental office where the implant is fitted with the new tooth. This process generally takes anywhere from three to eight months.

The plate form implant is ideal in situations where the jawbone is not wide enough to properly support a root implant. The plate form implant is long and thin, unlike the root implant, and anchors into thin jawbones. It is inserted the same way as a root implant. In certain cases, the plate form implant is immediately fitted with the restoration without waiting for the healing process to run its course.

The subperiosteal implant is used when the jawbone has receded to the point where it can no longer support a permanent implant.

Implant As a Treatment Option

If the missing tooth space has no surrounding teeth, the dentist may decide an implant is the most appropriate treatment choice or option.

The treatment plan for a bridge usually requires two trips to your dentist. Specifically, it involves:

• Numbing the surrounding teeth with a local anesthetic and cleaning plaque or decay. • Reducing the teeth so that the crowns can be fitted.
• Making a mold or impression of the teeth in order to create a customized permanent impression (this generally takes 1-2 weeks).
• Fitting the patient with a temporary bridge until the permanent bridge is ready for placement.
• Removing the temporary bridge and replacing it with the permanent one.
• Adjusting the bridge for the proper bite and fit and permanently bonding it into the mouth.

Post Implant Care

Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades when given proper care.

Back to top

Implant Overdenture

There are numerous benefits of an overdenture or implant supported bridge, including:

• Increased strength restores your natural ability to chew, which improves mastication and digestion.
• Preserves the integrity of the structures of the face by protecting the remaining bone.
• Minimizes wrinkles around the mouth because it restores support to the lips.
• Eliminates the pain associated with poor-fitting dentures.
• Allows the palate to remain uncovered allowing one to maintain their sensitivity to hot and cold.

A removable overdenture may be the ideal alternative for those who are unable to have a fixed prosthesis. Overdentures are designed to fit over implants and secured to abutments allowing it to stay securely in place.

Back to top

Single Tooth Implant

We are able to place a single tooth implant to restore the natural beauty of your smile in just two phases:

Phase I

Once your mouth is numb, we will surgically place the implant into your gums and close the inciscion with a stitch. The implant will securely attach itself to the jawbone over the next few weeks.

Phase II

We will re-expose the implant so we can prepare it for a crown. This process varies from patient to patient. We will first make an impression of your mouth to ensure proper alignment. This will enable us to custom fabricate your crown and place it directly on top of the implant.

To ensure the success of your new implant, regular check-ups and proper home care is necessary.

Back to top

Immediate Implant Placement

With the advancements in today’s technologies, in many cases, we are able to place an implant with a temporary crown in just a single visit. In the past, this process would take several months.

Phase I

After the original tooth is extracted, we will reshape the site for the implant. We will then place the implant and an extension that will hold the temporary crown on top of the implant. We will make necessary adjustments until a proper bite is achieved. We recommend that you maintain a soft diet and avoid chewing on the temporary crown over the next few months allowing the implant to securely attach itself to the bone.

Phase II

We will first remove the temporary crown from the implant, and then make an impression of your mouth. This model will enable us to fabricate a custom crown that will ensure proper alignment. This process varies from patient to patient.

We recommend regular check-ups and proper home care to guarantee the success of your new implant.

Back to top

Post Implant Care

Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades when given proper care.

Back to top