Possibly one of the greatest leaps forward in dental care is the advent of the dental implant. Implants are an extremely effective way to replace missing teeth. They stay in your mouth permanently and are effectively a complete replacement for the lost tooth or teeth.
So what exactly is involved with replacing a tooth with an implant? What is an Implant?
Let me start with the second question first.
An implant is essentially a fairly slim piece of metal designed to imitate the missing root of the tooth that was removed. The material the implant is made of is very compatible to the body. So much so that the bone grows right into the implant and it physically becomes a part of you.
The implant itself is just the root substitute. To complete the look of a tooth and to make it fully functional, a crown needs to be placed on the implant.
As to how implants are placed: unfortunately it’s not by magic. Implants are placed surgically.
To be fair the surgery is really pretty minor. But to most of us the term “surgery” is enough to make us decide against the process. Don’t.
If you would consider getting a tooth out then you should be fine with the process of placing an implant. Patients generally tell us that the surgery was similar to the discomfort associated with taking a tooth out. If you are thinking of getting an implant that means you survived getting a tooth out, so by all means get the implant.
At Pleasant Dental® we have one of our referred surgeons place the implant. Why? Well personally, I just prefer those with the most surgical expertise perform the placement. This increases the likelihood of success (yes implants sometimes fail but are in the area of 98% successful when done properly).
We place the final crown on the implant. The crown, for those who don’t know, is the part on the top of the implant that makes it look and function like a tooth. That’s our job and we do it well.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are titanium roots, that are replaced with in the jawbone to resemble a tooth or group of teeth. A screw is inserted through the gums and into the jawbone. A porcelain crown is then attached to the screw to become the new tooth or teeth. They can be used to support dental prosthesis including crowns, dentures, and bridges. Today’s treatments are so natural looking, no one will know you had surgery. There’s approximately a 95% success rate for all implants. With modern advances in dentistry, some implants can be restored immediately with life like all porcelain crowns. For more details ask your dentist.
