Implant Therapy and Dentistry

Dental Implants are by far the best way to replace lost or missing teeth. But do you really need to replace a tooth that you have lost? After all, we have so many of them.

There are many things than can go wrong if a missing tooth is not replaced soon thereafter. Adjacent and opposite teeth to the missing tooth start shifting. Bite issues develop because your teeth don't hit right.

Even though your body gets used to these small events, over time you'll pay by developing abnormalities in your face. You won't be able to eat what you used to eat and your diet suffers. This puts you at risk for developing other medical and health problems. So now you can begin to see why it is not OK to just take a tooth out and leave it.

Dental Implants can be used to replace one tooth or multiple teeth. Implants allow the individual to chew and function without the discomfort and irritability of dentures or a dental bridge. Dental implants feel just like your own teeth and you can chew with them the same way. Also cleaning around the implant is much like cleaning your own teeth. No special precautions or steps are necessary.

Sometimes a dental implant is placed immediately after a hopeless tooth is taken out. Sometimes, it’s necessary for the area to heal before an implant is placed. In certain cases a “bone graft” is necessary to improve the outcome of implant therapy.

Lower jaw with missing tooth affecting patient's chewing Implant therapy goes in 2 stages. During the first stage the appropriately sized (both lengthwise and widthwise) implant is placed. This is considered the “implant surgery” phase. Implant surgery is performed with local anesthetic and sedation if necessary. Most often a 2-4 months period is
necessary for the dental implant to become fully healed.

Stage 2 of implant therapy involves the fabrication of the crown for the implant. This stage is very similar to fabrication of a crown for a regular tooth.
In certain cases and with careful planning, the dental implant(s) and the crowns Crown placed 2 months later for the implants can be all done at the same time.

People often associate implant surgery as being difficult with a long healing time. Such is not the case. Almost everyone is amazed of how smooth and trouble-free the surgery is. Most of the implant surgeries are performed at our office. However, in certain cases we will refer you to a specialist for placement of the dental implant.

To schedule your complementary implant consultation click here.