DENTAL IMPLANTS

If you have missing teeth that can’t be replaced, chances are you’ve thought about dental implants. To put it simply, dental implants are metal screws embedded into the bone of your jaw in the area of the missing tooth. This screw acts as replacement for the natural root of your tooth. These create a strong, permanent foundation for the replacement tooth that we will custom make to match your natural teeth.

Dental implants are great for many reasons:

• They look and feel like your own natural teeth
• They function like your normal teeth too, allowing you to eat, speak and chew just as your normally do.
• They are permanent, so they’re comfortable – you won’t even feel that they’re there
• They don’t require changes to any adjacent teeth, which is required with some other tooth replacement options.

If you come in looking for a dental implant, we’ll start by developing a special plan customized for your individual needs.

Next, we’ll schedule a time to install the implant, which is a small, titanium post. The post will be embedded into the bone socket of the missing tooth. Over the next six to 12 weeks, your jawbone will heal around the implanted metal post, securely anchoring it in the jaw. During this time, your dentist will have a replacement tooth or teeth made to match the size and shape of your natural teeth.

Once this has happened, you’ll come back to have a small connector, also known as an abutment, attached to the implant to securely hold the new tooth. Your replacement tooth, called a crown, is then attached to the abutment.

Dental implants are available to any patient with healthy gums and enough jawbone to hold the implant in place. For dental implants to be successful in providing a lifetime of healthy, functional replacement, it’s important to care for your implant with a consistent home-based oral care routine and regular visits to Willowdale Dental Associates.

If you have missing teeth that you’re ready to replace, call our team to discuss your options today.