Dental Implants (Full Procedure)

People can lose their teeth for various reasons, including injury, disease, and age, and missing teeth can take a toll on your quality of life. Missing teeth can change your appearance, in addition to making it difficult to eat and speak normally. Plus, missing teeth can actually lead to the deterioration of the jawbone and affect the health of other teeth in your mouth.

Thankfully, at ONE Dental, we have plenty of tooth replacement treatment options available for patients who are missing one or more teeth, including dental implants.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are one of the most common and most highly recommended options for replacing one or more missing teeth. A dental implant is the tooth replacement treatment that most closely mimics a natural tooth’s look, feel, and function.

Dental implants are comprised of three parts. The anchor portion of the implant is a metal, screw-like dental appliance that is implanted in the patient’s jawbone and functions as an artificial tooth root. The anchor supports a metal abutment that connects the anchor to a permanent dental crown. The dental crown is the only portion of the dental implant visible above the gum line, and it acts as the replacement tooth.

The Benefits of Replacing Teeth With Dental Implants

Dental implants offer a variety of benefits over other tooth replacement options. Primarily, they look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. They also require the same care as natural teeth, so patients with dental implants can continue brushing and flossing at home as usual.

Additionally, since dental implant anchors provide pressure and stimulation to the jawbone, dental implants help to maintain the health of the bone that can quickly deteriorate with alternative tooth replacements.

What To Expect During the Dental Implant Process

Getting a dental implant is a fairly lengthy process, but our dentists are highly experienced and skilled, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Getting an implant begins with a consultation and CBCT scan that allows us to evaluate your jawbone structure and teeth. This helps us determine whether you have enough jawbone mass to support an implant or if your process needs to begin with the placement of a bone graft to shore up your jawbone and stimulate bone growth.

Once your jaw has been prepped, the implant placement process begins with a surgical procedure during which we place the anchor. Following anchor placement, you’ll wait several months through a healing process during which osseointegration occurs with the jawbone fusing around the implant anchor.

Once fully healed, we place the abutment. Depending on the process of placing the abutment, we can either fit the patient with a permanent crown on the same day or cover it with a temporary crown until the treatment area is fully healed and ready for the placement of the permanent crown.

Find Out If Dental Implants Are Right for You

While dental implants offer several benefits and are one of the most popular tooth-replacement options, they are not the right option for everyone. For example, to receive a dental implant, you must have generally healthy gum tissue with no sign of infection or periodontal disease.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, we strongly encourage you to schedule a smile restoration consultation with one of our dentists at ONE Dental. We can talk with you about your treatment goals, examine your teeth and jawbone structure, and help you determine the best treatment option for you. To learn more or schedule your appointment, we welcome you to contact us today.