Dental implants have had a considerable impact on modern dentistry – offering a highly viable solution to replacing missing teeth. A dental implant is essentially an artificial tooth that is placed, or implanted, into your jaw where a dental crown is then capped on top for a complete tooth that looks and even feels like a real tooth.
Dental implants can replace:
- A single tooth
- Multiple teeth
- All of your teeth (implant dentures)
Are You a Candidate?
Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants, however a large majority of patients are. The most trouble occurs for dental implants that are placed into your upper jaw because of its close proximity to your sinus cavity.
In order for an implant to be placed into the jawbone, there must be a sufficient amount of room and bone integrity (to hold the implant) present, otherwise a patient will not be recommended to receive a dental implant due to a high likelihood of implant failure.
However, dental implants have very high success rates of up to 98% because of evolving techniques and offer superior stability over other traditional options such as dental bonding.
The Process – What To Expect
Dental implants take time to integrate into your jawbone. Typically, your first step includes implanting a titanium post into the jawbone that will undergo a process known as Osseointegration to fuse with the surrounding bone. This process results in a strong bond that is similar to what a real tooth offers. Several months may be required for this step.
Afterwards, we place an abutment connector onto the titanium implant where a dental crown can be placed. The dental crown will be made specifically to blend in with your teeth for a complete artificial tooth that looks so close to a real tooth that friends, family, and strangers will not even be able to tell the difference.
Discuss Your Options Today!
To find out whether or not you are a good candidate for dental implants, please call us at 323.560.3131 for more information.
