What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a modern treatment that is used to replace missing teeth. This unique treatment is an alternative to dental bridges and dentures. Small titanium posts are surgically implanted into your jawbone. Once implanted, your bone gradually fuses to the posts, integrating them into your jaw. Over time, they become stable enough to provide support for your replacement teeth, or ceramic crowns. Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, several teeth, or even all of the teeth in a single arch.The Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer multiple benefits.• | They restore the functions of your teeth, including biting, chewing, and proper speech. |
• | The crowns, made from ceramic, look just like the rest of your natural teeth. Once the placement of implants is complete, they blend right in, and no one will be able to tell that they are there. |
• | Superior comfort. The crowns are supported by the posts rather than your gums. The posts are supported by your jawbone, much like the roots of your natural teeth. |
• | They are completely stable and secure once fully integrated. |
• | There is no need to alter the structure of your adjacent teeth in any way. |
• | Implants are designed to be permanent. |
• | The posts stimulate your jawbone just like the roots of your natural teeth. This helps to keep your jawbone strong and healthy. |
Getting Your Implant Restorations
After you have healed from implant surgery, we provide you with the ceramic crowns that replace the visible portions of your missing teeth. This process generally takes two different visits. During your first visit, abutments, or connectors that provide stability for the crowns, are placed. Next, impressions of your mouth are taken. These impressions are sent to our dental lab, where they are used to design and create your customized crowns. Designing crowns is done using specialized computer software, that allows the crowns to be made to the exact specifications of your mouth. Once the design phase is complete, the crowns are then milled. Ceramic blocks the same color as your natural teeth are placed into a milling machine, and the design from the computer is used to create your crowns. Once they are ready, the crowns are sent back and you have your second appointment. At this appointment, the teeth are checked for fit and bite, and then screwed into place.Dental implants restore the functions of your missing teeth as well as the quality of your smile, giving you your life back. Call Jillian Prather Family Dentistry today to see if you qualify as a candidate for dental implants or for more information at (918) 401-9933.