When a tooth has been extracted, the gap left afterwards should be filled with a synthetic tooth to prevent bone resorption, which can alter the structure of the jaw. Dental implants are a popular singular or bridged tooth replacement, and are one of the restorative procedures Robert J. Malone DDS has to offer.Dental implants could be for you and have many benefits over dentures and dental bridges. Talk to one of our dentists to discuss what procedure would best suit your individual needs.
Why have a Dental Implant?
Dental implants boast the most natural feeling synthetic tooth of all the restorative procedures. Dental bridges can have wires glued to the back of teeth, while dentures have plates that can often feel alien in the mouth, whereas dental implants are rooted seamlessly into the jawbone.
Dental implants very rarely become compromised, unlike root canals that can, on occasion, need another procedure to replace it. This means they last an incredibly long time, 25 years, meaning once the procedure is done, you do not have to feel any concerned about it.
Dental implants are non-removable, which means they not prone to the same type of damage or loss in the same way a denture would be. The implant makes the crown's placement, in the mouth, resilient and strong. The root is the source of the implant's strength, and indistinguishability, as there are no external components that would otherwise give it away as a synthetic tooth.
How is it placed?
There are three parts of the dental implant, the implant itself, the abutment, and the crown. The placing of all three usually takes two appointments, but this varies depending on the availability of both the dentist and the patient, and how difficult the procedure is.
The viability of your jaw, for the dental implant, must be assessed, as jaws that are not dense enough cannot have an implant placed. In this case, patients will firstly need a bone graft to be placed, and fully fused with the surrounding bone, which adds months to the treatment plan.
In the first appointment, a hole is drilled into the bone and the dental implant is placed. This takes between 30-90 minutes, depending on the difficulty of the procedure and how many implants you are having placed. Measurements are taken for a custom-fit crown, and a temporary one is placed on top.
Over the next couple of months, the dental implant will fuse properly with the surrounding bone and create a strong base for the abutment, if it has not already been placed, and the permanent dental crown.
The custom-fit crown is made in a dental lab, using CAD/CAM technology. When the dental implant is secure in the jaw, we can then place the abutment and crown in the second appointment. The abutment is a connector between the implant and crown. The custom-fit crown will fit comfortably in the dental arch and is often made from porcelain or resin. Other options are available for crown material.
Robert J. Malone DDS wants to accommodate your next dental implant crown placement. Call us at (760) 546-5557 to book your appointment today.