Dental Implants

What are they?

Today’s dental implants are referred to as root form implants. They are essentially small titanium screws that are surgically placed in the jaw bones where there is a missing tooth (or teeth). They, in turn, have a small screw hole exposed at the gum line onto which we can attach various components depending on the intended treatment plan.

There are several different brands and each have their technological reasons for promoting the differences between them. All of the implant brands with which we work are successful and meet FDA and ADA standards. We select the brand on a case-by-case basis, in concert with the surgical specialist, according to bone conditions, engineered design of the prosthesis, and the implant parts available from each manufacturer.

How do we use them?

Dental implants can be used in many different ways.

Single tooth replacement

One implant can be placed in the bone where a tooth used to be. In some cases the implant can be placed at the same time as the extraction of a failing tooth. A device called a prosthetic abutment is screwed to the implant and a porcelain-metal crown can be custom fabricated and cemented over the abutment.

Multiple tooth replacement

Careful consideration must be given to not only the missing teeth, but how much bone and gum has been lost and what the esthetic impact that loss will have.

In the case of a few adjacent missing teeth multiple implants can be placed and crowns fabricated similar to the single tooth situation. It is not always necessary to place one dental implant for each missing tooth. For example, three adjacent missing teeth may be replaced with a fixed bridge which is supported on two implants.

In the case where where several consecutive teeth are missing a hybrid prosthesis may be the desired treatment. This prosthesis consists of a gold alloy or titanium casting which has the replacement teeth and gums processed onto it. The assembly is then screwed to two or more implants. This type of prosthesis is removable by us should the need arise.

Implants can be used to retain a removable partial denture. There are several types of attachments which can be screwed to implants which allow a denture to snap onto the implant. This treatment may be especially useful in cases where accurate implant location is of concern.

A complete arch of missing teeth

Depending on circumstances such as bone quality and quantity, cosmetic concerns, and the condition of the opposing arch of teeth, a full arch of missing teeth can be treated similar to the multiple missing tooth treatments. The final prosthesis may be removable or fixed or a combination of those. Unlike conventional dentures, implant-supported dentures may be made without palatal coverage.

How do they work?

Dental implants work because of a combination of material, placement technique, and prosthesis design.

Bone effectively grows to the implant because the titanium and surface treatments of these implants do not stimulate the body to initiate a foreign body reaction against them.

Surgical placement technique includes gentle manipulation for minimal heat generation, selecting sites with adequate bone of appropriate quality or using adjunctive procedures to create that situation, and coordinating the placement position with the desired prosthetic design.

Prosthetic design and fabrication requires a precise fit of the devices attached to the implant as well as smooth contours which are well tolerated by the gum tissues.