Dental Implants
Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved. The implants are tiny titanium posts which are placed into the jaw bone where teeth are missing. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. In addition, dental implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing.
Our team of experts utilizes 3D imaging to help plan and place our dental implants to help restore form and function to your smile.
Dental implants are a great and ideal option for single or multiple teeth replacement.
Not only do implants preserve the bone in the area, but they also provide benefits such as creating better aesthetics and limiting trauma to surrounding teeth and support structures. A customized crown is fabricated and retained onto the implant by a small screw. Typically, one can expect a 3 to 4 month healing period, after placement of an implant, to proceed with the crown process.
​
If missing several teeth in one area, patients may be consulted to have a fixed implant bridge placed. Fixed implant bridges can replace 3 to 4 teeth and utilize two single implants with a customized bridge that is attached by small screws into the implants. Similarly, to single tooth implants, fixed implant bridges maintain surrounding bone support and aid in providing proper dental function.
​
When all teeth need to be replaced, there are two options to consider determining what best suits your needs. One of those options is a removable implant denture, commonly known as a “snap-on denture”. Many people refer to this type of replacement as a “snap-on denture” due to the mechanism of attachment to the dental implants that are placed.
​
Often, traditional dentures require adhesives to secure a denture in place; however, these adhesives and creams tend to need to be replaced throughout the day. Also, if a patient does not have adequate bone structure to aid with suctioning and retention of a denture, adhesives can prove to be useless. Implant-retained overdentures provide the security of stability and retention of your denture throughout the day without the use of over-the-counter denture adhesives.The benefits of an overdenture as compared to Fixed Implant Dentures are lower cost, ability to remove the denture to clean, and the ability to enhance facial structures, such as lips and cheeks, in cases of severe bone loss.
Overdentures are a multi-step process and begins with your consultation using advanced imaging and diagnostic clinical examination.
We will carefully evaluate every individual’s case to determine the proper number of implants that will be necessary to place to increase overall support of your denture. Once the dental implants are placed, a 3 to 4 month healing period is allotted to allow for integration of the implants into the surrounding bone. After healing, a support structure, referred to as locators, are attached to the implants. These are what your custom set of overdentures will “snap” onto for a worry-free support and fixation to provide comfort in chewing and speaking.
Other related topics