Dental implants are tiny titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth.
Missing teeth can significantly reduce your quality of life. First, there are oral health concerns: these gaps in your mouth can cause other teeth to shift, altering your facial structure. Missing teeth can also make eating and speaking more difficult.
Patients with dental implants can smile with comfort and confidence!
Wondering if implant dentistry is right for you? We’ll review your health history and ask you to undergo a dental/radiographic examination. During the consultation, we’re happy to address any specific questions, needs, or concerns you have.
We will also discuss fees and insurance at this time. There are many types of insurance plans, and coverage for implants varies. We will be happy to assist you in obtaining any benefits you may be entitled to.
Dental implants typically require two surgical procedures. During the first, we place the implants within your jawbone.
They gradually bond with the jawbone for the first three to six months following the surgery. You should be able to wear temporary teeth and eat a soft diet at this time. At the same time, your restorative dentist will design the final bridgework or denture.
You’re ready for the second step once the implant has bonded to the jawbone. At this point, we’ll uncover the implants and attach a small healing collar.
Posts or attachments can be connected to the implants. The teeth replacements are then made over the posts or attachments. Most patients do not experience any disruption in their daily life.
Ferber Dental Group typically performs in-office dental implant surgery in a sterile, hospital-style operating suite. Inpatient hospital implant surgery is for patients with special medical or anesthetic needs or those needing extensive bone grafting from the jaw, hip, or tibia.
There are several different ways for dental implants to replace multiple teeth.
Depending on your situation, you may be a good candidate for an implant-fixed bridge or Snap-On Dentures. There are even situations where it makes sense to replace each missing tooth with an implant.
Implant bridges replace the support lost as a result of missing teeth, avoid the need to drill the adjacent teeth, and do not require an implant for every missing tooth.
To create a fixed bridge to replace a single missing tooth, your dentist must first grind down adjacent healthy teeth to support a fixed bridge. This may significantly compromise the life expectancy of the supporting teeth due to the permanent changes to the tooth structure.
There are other risk factors, such as bacterial access to the supporting teeth, which can lead to:
Unlike a fixed bridge, replacing a single missing tooth with dental implants limits the compromise to the surrounding natural teeth.
Whether you’re ready to book an appointment or you have more questions you’d like to ask first, we’re here for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.