DENTAL IMPLANTS:

WHAT IS A DENTAL IMPLANT?

The best way to describe a dental implant is to compare it to a real tooth. A tooth consists of a root and a crown. The part of the tooth that you see is called the crown. Beneath the crown is the root, which anchors the tooth through the gum tissue to the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown. To replace a tooth, we first have to replace the root. Essentially, a dental implant is a new root. This titanium root is fitted into a socket that we create, replacing the lost root of your natural tooth.

Dental implants come in various shapes and sizes and have different types of surfaces. The actual implant selection will depend on a variety of factors related to your specific treatment needs and the most appropriate one(s) will be used. Once an implant has been placed, the bone around it will need to heal for four to six months.

Usually the office procedure to place a dental implant takes about an hour for one implant and no more than two or three hours for multiple implants. The placement process consists of the following steps:

  1. After the area is numb, the gum will be lifted to expose the jawbone.
  2. Meticulous incremental enlargements of a small hole created in the jawbone create the implant receptor site. This must match the diameter of the specific implant to be placed.
  3. The implant is then inserted by threading it into place.
  4. The gum tissue is securely sutured closed to protect the site.

Restorative treatment begins with specialized impressions needed to make the abutments (support posts) that attach your replacement teeth to your implants.

The number of appointments and the amount of time required for each appointment are different for each patient regardless of the number of teeth replaced.

Once your implants are placed, you can expect your treatment to be completed anywhere from two to twelve months. For these reasons, it is difficult for us to tell you exactly how much the restorative phase of your treatment will cost. We can give you a specific timeframe for completion of your treatment after the implants are ready for restoration.