Implant Dentistry

A dental implant is a surgical-grade titanium fixture that goes into the jawbone where the original root of the tooth was located. After the implant heals, we can place a tooth on it. This allows people to get their teeth back without having them be removable. The most common reason people need dental implants is if they start missing teeth. If you don't replace them, it compromises how you chew. If your chewing is compromised, you alter your diet and may avoid crunchy vegetables, leading to a softer diet and potentially affecting your overall health. Having teeth that you can chew properly not only looks and feels better but can also prolong your life by maintaining healthy nutrition. We take a three-dimensional X-ray to see the shape of the bone where the missing tooth is located. This information helps us decide the position and size of the implant and choose the best implant for the situation. We make a device that fits over the remaining teeth to guide us in placing the implant. This guide is created using X-rays and three-dimensional imaging, which we combine to virtually place the implant before doing so on the patient. I don’t think I’ve ever written a prescription for narcotic pain medication after placing an implant. Patients usually take one Tylenol that night and maybe one the next morning, and that’s it. The recovery is actually very quick. Patients need to be careful for the first few weeks because the implant has to heal. We let it heal for about four months so the bone grows to it and fuses, making it extremely strong. After this period, we place parts inside the implant that stick up into the mouth. We put the crown on these parts, which are called abutments. These secondary phases are easier than you might think, and we don't even need to numb the patient for them. In general, most healthy patients who haven’t been missing teeth for a long time are candidates for dental implants.