Dental implants are a more permanent, durable option for replacing badly damaged or missing teeth. This surgical option can take longer than crowns or bridgework to complete, but the results are worth the wait. For more information on dental implants, call today or make an appointment online.
What is dental implant surgery?
Dental implant surgery is used to replace a tooth that’s missing, or that’s been too badly damaged to save with a crown or filling. During dental implant surgery, a titanium root is installed and fuses directly into the jawbone to replace the tooth’s natural root. A crown, or artificial tooth, sits atop this titanium root to mimic the function and appearance of a natural tooth.
While installing a dental implant is more involved than having a crown or bridge put in, dental implants are a durable, long-lasting alternative, and they may be an option even when crowns or bridges can’t support your surrounding teeth.
Why would I need a dental implant?
If you’re missing a tooth, have a badly broken or decayed tooth, or have just recently had a major root canal procedure and your natural tooth is not salvageable, a dental implant may be your only option. Dental implants are often used when the surrounding teeth are not healthy enough to support a bridge, or when a secure fit can’t be achieved with a bridge. Dental implants won’t move, shift, or make noise in your mouth the way bridges or dentures can.
To have a dental implant installed, the jawbone beneath it must be healthy and stable enough to support the implant. In cases where the jawbone is too soft or too thin to support the implant, bone grafting can be used to add support.
Dental implant surgery occurs during multiple visits spread out over several months. The first step of implant surgery is to remove any remnants of the tooth that’s being replaced if they exist. This can mean removing pieces of broken tooth or separating the root from the socket. Once complete, any jawbone grafting that’s necessary will be performed.
Your dentist will then place the dental implant so that the bone can begin healing around it and securing it in place. This will take at least a few months, and when the healing is complete, you’ll return to have an abutment and a crown placed on top of the implant, completing it. Once the implant is fully secured, it should stay in place just like a regular tooth.