Learn about Dental Implants

If you, like millions of Americans, have lost one or more teeth, you may be all too familiar with the unpleasant consequences. For many, missing teeth lead to an unattractive smile, embarrassment from loose dentures, and pain or difficulty with eating. 

Because of the remarkable advances in dentistry in recent years, dental implants offer an effective solution to many of these problems.  Dental implants are usually completed in two phases.  Phase #1 is the actual implant placement, a process generally performed in the office with local anesthesia or light sedation to help make the patient more comfortable. Using precise, gentle surgical techniques, the implants are placed into the jawbone for 3 to 6 months while osseointegration (bonding to bone) takes place. This helps ensure a strong, solid foundation for replacement teeth. During this time, temporary bridges or dentures may be used to minimize any cosmetic or chewing inconvenience. Phase #2 involves creating and attaching the new tooth or teeth to the anchored implant(s) in your jaw. Dental implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth or complete dentures. Your dentist can recommend the best choice for you.

Dental implants are an effective, safe and predictable solution to the problems resulting from missing teeth. Many patients report exciting benefits from dental implants, such as:

• Replacement teeth look, feel and function like natural teeth 
• Improved taste and appetite 
• Improved cosmetic appearance 
• The ability to chew without pain or gum irritation 
• Improved quality of life 

One additional and very important benefit can be the reduction or elimination of bone atrophy or shrinkage, commonly associated with loss of teeth.  Dental implants are truly a revolution, solving an age old problem safely and predictably. Implant dentistry can change the smiles and lives of millions for years to come.