Dental Implants

Dental implants provide a permanent, natural-appearing option to bridgework when it comes to replacing damaged or missing teeth and partial dentures. A dental implant has the appearance and function of a natural tooth and unlike a bridge, which requires grinding down a healthy tooth on either side of the missing tooth, a dental implant replaces only the missing tooth.

A dental implant has three parts: an artificial tooth, a metal anchor and an extension attached on top of the metal cylinder.

The Procedure

Getting a dental implant begins with having a metal anchor, typically made of titanium, surgically implanted by a periodontist or oral surgeon into the jawbone beneath the gum tissue, effectively replacing the root of the tooth. During a process called "osteointegration," the implant becomes integrated into the jawbone during a three- to six-month period.

Next, an extension is fitted onto the metal anchor, and the patient’s gums must heal for one or two weeks before the artificial tooth can be attached.

When the healing process is completed, impressions are made of the patient’s mouth and remaining teeth. The impressions are used to make the artificial tooth.

Artificial Tooth Options

There are two types of artificial teeth from which to choose.

Removable implant prosthesis: Similar to a removable denture, this removable implant contains artificial white teeth surrounded by pink plastic gum. It is mounted on a metal frame that is attached to the extension and snaps into place. This option is more secure than traditional dentures.

Fixed implant prosthesis: An artificial tooth that is permanently screwed or cemented onto an individual implant extension.