Dental Implants

Implants are titanium screws which act as root replacements for teeth. Once the screw is placed in your jaw bone, your bone integrates around the threads to stabilize it. Implants are roughly the same size as natural roots and once integrated can be attached to crowns or other dental appliances (dentures, etc).

I always tell my patients, we drill a hole and place a screw…easy! In reality if planned properly the surgery is typically fairly quick. It involves making a small incision in the gum to expose the bone and then I use a guide to drill a hole in a preplanned area. The implant is screwed in using a special torque driver to ensure that the right amount of force is used. In terms of pain or discomfort I always tell patients that placing the implant is far LESS traumatic than pulling a tooth out. I do not expect patients to feel pain as I use local anesthetic. Afterwards it is normal to have some discomfort and possible swelling. My patients are always so surprised at how fast the procedure is and I make sure to remind them that the majority of the surgery is planned ahead of time on my computer to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

This is a very common question. Aside from a few rare exceptions, medically the majority of people are candidates for dental implants. Some factors, like smoking, can have a negative effect on the implant's sturdiness. The next most important factor to consider before placing an implant is whether you have enough bone to support an implant and eventually a crown or denture. I plan my cases backwards…I start with the end goal in mind and figure out where the best place for an implant is. Sometimes a patient may require additional bone grafting. This can be a separate procedure with healing time or done at the same time as the implant.

This varies widely based on the patient and their medical status, home care, dental hygiene frequency, etc. Generally speaking implants are considered a long term solution. They should be maintained to the same standard as our natural teeth. You can not get a cavity on a dental implant but it can be affected by gum disease. This means brushing twice a day, flossing and at least 2 professional dental cleanings a year. I do recommend that ALL implant patients also employ water flossing (Waterpik, etc) to ensure the space between the crown and implant stays clean.

Most patients report that the tooth just blends in with the rest of their teeth. Of course when it is new and depending on the position your tongue will be extra curious and some patients will bite their cheeks a few times. It does not take long for your muscle memory to adapt to the new tooth and things will feel totally natural. The goal with implanted teeth is that you shouldn’t feel or notice them at all!