What Are Dental Implants?

 

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.

Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth.

 

 

Why Dental Implants Are Used

Implants are used for various reasons:

• Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
• Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
• Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.
• Replace all missing teeth with permanent/fixed restoration used to eliminate full dentures.

Esthetic Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.

Tooth-saving Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!

Bone Preservation Jaw bone, like all bones in our body demineralizes and loses mass with loss of function. Dental implants restore functional demand to the jaw bone and thereby reestablish biologic stimulus for bone metabolism.

Comfort Implants can be used to replace one, several or all teeth with permanent fixed dentistry. Replacement teeth are strong, stable and fully functional. Other applications may include supporting or retaining mechanisms to hold removable dentures. This use is a wonderful improvement for loose dentures (see implant dentures).

Confidence Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.

Reliable The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.

 

 

Replacing One, Several or All of Your Teeth With Dental Implants

Replacing a Single Tooth If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

Replacing Several Teeth If you are missing several teeth, implant-supported bridges can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.

Replacing All of Your Teeth If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported full bridge or full denture can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.

All-on-4 Dental Implant System

The All-On-4 dental implant clinical solution has been developed to maximize the use of available bone and to allow for Immediate Function™.

The biggest advantage this dental implant solution?

It offers a new set of upper or lower replacement teeth for qualified patients in just one appointment - without bone grafts.

How does it work?

Using only four implants in edentulous jaws, the solution takes advantage of the benefits of tilting the posterior implants to provide a secure and optimal prosthetic support for a prosthetic bridge, even with minimum bone volume.

Can I have this dental implant procedure done?

Not all patients are candidates for the procedure. There are specific requirements and parameters that need to be present for dental implant. Once we determine if you are a candidate, we will let you know if the technique is appropriate for your long-term success of your implant.

A long term success in a day

When dental implants were first introduced, a specific surgical protocol was followed that required a healing period of 3 months or longer for the implants to integrate (grow solid) into the jawbone.

While certain circumstances may still require longer healing intervals, it is now possible to place implants into the jaw and fabricate replacement teeth that can be installed the same day.

This can even be done immediately following teeth extractions. The implants are inserted during the same surgical appointment.

These new procedures are based on improved implant designs, better diagnostic capabilities and modifications in surgical protocol. The final outcome is predictable, and long-term success is equal to that enjoyed by dental implants placed under the more traditional approach.

 

A New Set Of Teeth

People who are missing teeth are now able to replace them with permanent dentures in as little as one hour and with less discomfort. This is made possible by the NoeblGuide guided implant placement solution from Nobel Biocare.

Denture

An accurate fitting denture is used to get contours of the gums and define the exact position of the new teeth.

 

 

CT Scan

A CT scan is performed to get a three-dimensional view of the bone.

Information combined in the computer

The CT scan information is entered into the NobelGuide Software program that creates this 3-D virtual model.

• 1. Shape and width of the jaw bone determines where and how many implants are necessary.
• 2. Surgical Template is designed to fit exactly on the patient's gums.
• 3. The clinical and dental laboratory design the prosthesis (denture) to fit the mouth and look like the patient's original teeth.
• 4. The Dental Implant Specialist carefully plans locations for implants to secure the prosthesis.

Back in the dental chair

About three weeks later, the patient comes in for a one-hour surgery to secure the new set of teeth. The patient is given only local anesthesia to numb the mouth. The implants are permanent and do not need to be replaced.

• 1. A surgical template, similar to a retainer, is placed over the gums and contains drill guides.
• 2. Between 4-8 holes are to be drilled into the jaw bone.
• 3. The implants are placed into the jaw bone.
• 4. The prosthesis (permanent denture) is positioned over the implants.
• 5. Titanium screws hold the prosthesis in place.
• 6. The teeth are made of acrylic or porcelain that can mimic the look of real teeth.
• 7. The gum area is made of either acrylic or pink porcelain.

On the way out

The implants - and chewing - helps maintain bone compared to dentures. Implants can be used on the upper or lower jaw. Patient leaves dentist office with a full set of teeth