HEALTHY, CONFIDENT, BEAUTIFUL SMILE

Dental Implants FAQs

Tooth,Implant,Model,In,Jaw,3d,Illustration

If you’re ready to restore your stunning smile and fill in your missing tooth, we understand that you may have hundreds of questions. While we may not be able to answer all of them on this page, we will go over some frequently asked questions for dental implants. If you still have any unanswered concerns, our friendly team is always more than willing to help!

What Exactly Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small titanium bolts inserted into the jawbone and act similar to the root of natural teeth. The part of the bolt that sticks out of the jaw (abutment) has threads to attach crowns, bridges, or dentures. The three parts to an implant are:

  1. The dental implant (titanium bolt)
  2. The abutment (the part that sticks out)
  3. The artificial tooth (crown, bridge, or denture).

Dental implants go through a process called osseointegration, where the bone and the titanium fuse together. There is no empty space between the bone and implant, locking it firmly in place. It creates a stable base similar to the root of natural teeth.

A great candidate for dental implants is anyone with one or more missing teeth or who has broken or decayed teeth beyond repair. Since it’s inserted into the jawbone, the patient must have the adequate bone structure to support the implant. Feel free to schedule an appointment with us to determine if dental implants will work for you!

Dental implants are more than a beautiful smile! They offer a wide range of benefits that you may not be aware of. Some benefits include the following:

  • Behave like natural teeth
  • Prevent bone loss
  • Keep adjacent teeth stable
  • Improved appearance
  • Help keep you free of gum disease
  • They can last a lifetime
  • Prevent facial sagging/premature aging
  • Improved speech
  • Make it easier to eat
  • Improves overall dental health

Not unless you tell them! Even from a conversational distance, it’s extremely difficult to know if someone has a dental implant because they’re designed to blend right in with your natural teeth.

The dental implant process usually takes several months to complete. There are two surgical procedures with a couple of months in between them for recovery. The initial procedure is when we gently place the implant into the bone socket of the missing tooth. After this, we allow 3-6 months for the jawbone to heal and grow around the implant, securing it into place. Next, we attach a post on the implant, called an abutment, that acts as an anchor for the new artificial tooth. We then create the mold of the new tooth and place it during the next appointment.

Implants are among the most successful dental restoration procedures! The implant success rate varies from person to person based on their overall health and daily habits. For an individual with good overall health and oral hygiene, the success rate is above 90-95%.

Let us know if you have any questions that our page about frequently asked questions for dental implants didn’t answer! You can submit a form directly on our website or give us a call at (707) 741-6090. Our team members are more than happy to help!