What are dental implants?
Dental implants are permanent tooth replacements that provide a comfortable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing alternative to bridges and dentures. They look and feel just like real teeth, and placement doesn’t require modifying your healthy teeth. The team at Sharon Springs Dental proudly offers dental implant restoration services to replace missing or extracted teeth.
The implant itself is a post made of titanium and other materials that are safe for your body. The team at Sharon Springs Dental surgically attaches the posts to your upper or lower jaw bone, where they fuse permanently and provide a solid anchor for replacement teeth.
Who should get dental implants?
You may want to consider dental implants if you have one or more missing teeth. Other requirements include having a fully developed jawbone and healthy oral tissues. If you don’t have enough healthy bone tissue to secure the implants, the team at Sharon Springs Dental may recommend a bone graft first.
It’s important to have good overall health before undergoing dental implant surgery. Medical conditions like diabetes and smoking tobacco may interfere with the healing process. The team at Sharon Springs Dental carefully reviews your medical history before scheduling dental implant surgery.
What should I expect from dental implants?
The dental implant process occurs in phases. First, the team at Sharon Springs Dental surgically places the dental implant post. At this stage, you still have a gap over the missing tooth. The team may create a temporary denture if needed.
It’s important for the bone to heal properly and fuse with the dental implant. The implant stimulates your jaw bone like a natural tooth root. The healing phase can take up to several months.
When healing is complete, you may need an additional surgery to place the abutment, which is where your crown attaches. Alternatively, your surgeon may attach the abutment to the post in the first procedure. Then, they take a digital impression and create a custom crown to serve as your new, realistic-looking artificial tooth.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
Dental implants offer many advantages over other tooth replacements like dentures and bridges, such as:
- No clicking or moving
- Stimulates jaw bone growth
- No interference with talking or chewing
- Looks just like your real teeth
- No need to alter healthy teeth to place a bridge
To find out if you’re a candidate for dental implants, call Sharon Springs Dental today or request an appointment online.
