Dental Implants
Our philosophy at Dream Dental is to rehabilitate and restore your existing teeth whenever possible. However, there are circumstances when teeth will need to be removed and replaced with an artificial alternative.
Benefits Of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer many advantages that assist patients restore dental function, enhance appearance, and enjoy long-term value.
Lifetime Solution: Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper care. Short-term fixes like bridges and dentures typically only last 5-10 years, and these recurring costs can add up.
Like Real Teeth: Dental implants look, feel, and work like natural teeth. You can eat comfortably, speak without them moving around in your mouth, and avoid the hassles of daily removal.
Prevent Bone Loss: The jawbone begins to degrade after teeth are lost, which over time creates a sunken-in look that can make you appear older. Dental implants can help preserve the jawbone.
Dental Implant Components
Dental implants typically have 3 parts:
1) The implant: A screw that serves as a root for your new teeth. This is what permanently attaches to your jaw.
2) The abutment: A permanent, but removable by your doctor, connector that supports and holds a tooth or set of teeth.
3) The crown (or prosthetic tooth): This is the part of the tooth that you can see. It’s usually made of zirconium or porcelain for durability and good looks.
Dental Implants Options
Dental implant is a surgical component that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, or denture.
Full Mouth Implants
Patients needing to replace a full upper and/or lower set of teeth can receive full mouth implants. A Periodontist places 4-6 implants and then attach a full arch of teeth, giving the procedure its name.
Multiple Implants
When a patient is missing multiple teeth, but has healthy gums and surrounding teeth, and a multiple implant is the best solution. Two fixtures are implanted and the crown is attached, leaving other natural teeth intact. The multiple implants is not for everyone, and even if a patient is only missing a few teeth, it may still be preferable to perform a full mouth/arch procedure.
Single-Tooth Implants
If you have lost a single tooth due to an accident or from gum disease, that one tooth can be replaced using a dental implant. Your new tooth will look and function just like your other natural teeth.
Dental Implants Procedure
The process for installing a crown over the dental implant requires several appointments. It follows this basic pattern:
Evaluation: If an unrestorable tooth is being removed, often a bone graft will be placed to reduce bone shrinkage at the implant site and to maximize the likelihood of implant success. If the tooth has been previously lost long before the implant surgery, the bone area will be evaluated to see whether or not a bone graft is needed. In certain circumstances, a sinus lift surgery may be needed to enhance the amount of bone on the maxillary jawbone.
Placement of the implants and temporary teeth: The titanium post is implanted into the jaw. A gum graft may also be performed to promote proper healing, depending on the specifics of your situation. For front teeth, we can provide a temporary removable device to cover the missing space, for cosmetic purposes. These temporary devices are not meant to be functional for chewing food and must be removed while eating.
Bone Integration Period: We then need to wait for the jaw to heal and the implant fixture to finish integrating into the bone. This usually takes at least two to three months, but it can take longer, depending on your particular situation. It is important to give the bone and other tissues to sufficiently rebuild around the implant, otherwise further complications can occur.
Creation Of Your Custom Prosthetic Teeth: Once the implant fixture is integrated into the bone and has stabilized, it is now ready to be restored. A mold of the gums around the implant and the surrounding teeth is made. Molds are sent to the lab for the construction of your custom abutment links and crown.
Post-procedure Check-ups And Fitting Your Custom Teeth: On delivery day, we remove all the temporary components and replace them with the custom abutment links and crown. We then try it in and ensure proper fit.
