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What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a natural-looking tooth alternative. Using a titanium post, this artificial root is implanted into the jaw bone. Once it fuses together, abutment posts are added to the anchor and a crown is attached. This new permanent attachment looks and functions just like a real tooth.
There are different options for dental implants, based on your need. Single tooth dental implants are a great solution for those missing just one tooth – or multiple, non-adjacent teeth. Patients who are missing multiple adjacent teeth can take advantage of implant-supported bridges. We even offer implant-supported dentures for patients who are missing many – or all – of their teeth.
Additional options include:
- A full arch with only four implants, replacing only the upper or lower teeth.
- Mini dental implants are used when full-size implants are not an option, such as low bone mass or small spaces within the mouth.
Whether you are investing in a dental implant for one tooth or as a bridge or dentures, you will find that this is the best, most functional tooth alternative on the market today.
Benefits of Dental Implants
This ultimate solution for replacing teeth, dental implants, comes with more benefits than you can imagine, such as:
- It prevents bone loss in areas of missing teeth.
- Looks real – and matches your natural teeth.
- Functions like a regular tooth – including the restoration of bite force.
- Supports the surrounding teeth.
- No chance of getting cavities.
- Allows you to speak naturally.
- Super easy to care for.
- Implant-supported dentures won’t slip out like traditional dentures.
- Won’t allow your face to change shape.
There are many other tooth replacements out there, but none that work as beautifully – or come with as many benefits – as dental implants. They are a permanent solution to tooth loss.
Are You a Good Candidate for Implants?
While dental implants are a great solution, they aren’t necessarily for everyone. A good candidate for dental implants will have:
- Good oral health – and oral hygiene habits
- The proper amount of jaw bone
- Healthy gum tissues with no signs of periodontal disease
- Good overall health
- Non-smoker
The candidate will also need to have patience. The process of getting dental implants can take anywhere from a few months to a year.
Single Tooth Dental Implants
Single tooth dental implants replace an individual missing tooth root and provide a stable foundation for a custom crown. This type of implant not only restores natural chewing and appearance, it also helps slow or prevent jawbone loss that normally occurs after a tooth is lost by stimulating the bone like a natural root.
Implant Supported Bridges
Implant-supported bridges are ideal if you are missing three or more teeth in a row. In most cases, two dental implants are strategically placed to anchor a custom porcelain bridge, creating a natural-looking, fully functional replacement that restores your bite without needing crowns on multiple neighboring teeth.
Implant Supported Dentures
For patients missing many or all of their teeth, implant-supported dentures offer a modern upgrade over traditional dentures. This option uses multiple dental implants — typically at least four per full arch — to secure a denture so it feels more stable, reduces slipping, and allows a smaller, more comfortable base. Candidacy depends on several factors, especially jawbone density, which must be sufficient to support the implants.
Implant-supported dentures can be designed as either fixed or removable. Removable implant dentures snap firmly onto the implants without messy adhesives, stay put while you speak and eat, and can be easily removed at night for cleaning, making daily care more convenient.
Full Arch with Only Four Implants
Full arch with only four implants is a specialized implant solution offered at Lane Family Dentistry for patients with a completely edentulous (toothless) upper or lower arch. This technique uses just four strategically placed implants to anchor an entire row of replacement teeth, restoring your smile with fewer implants and a shorter treatment timeline.
Mini Dental Implants (MDIs)
Mini dental implants (MDIs) provide an excellent alternative when a full-size implant isn’t the right fit. Small spaces or insufficient bone density in the jaw can make traditional implants difficult to place, but MDIs — which are similar in design but significantly smaller in diameter — often offer a viable solution. While traditional implants usually require two visits and a healing period of several months before the permanent tooth can be attached, mini implant placement is minimally invasive, often requiring only local anesthetic and no sutures. In many cases, MDIs can be placed with the final replacement tooth in a single day.
Zygoma Implants
There are times when a full size implant is not a viable option, and in many cases an MDI may be a great solution. Small spaces or inadequate bone mass in the jaw may prevent the use of traditional implants. Mini Dental Implants are similar to regular implants but, as the name suggests, are significantly smaller in diameter. Dental implants typically take 2 visits and require a waiting period of a few months from the time of implant placement to the time the permanent replacement tooth can be placed. The placement of MDIs is minimally invasive, often requiring only local anesthetic and no sutures. For this reason, MDIs can often be placed with the final replacement tooth in one day.
The Benefits & Importance of Dental Implants
Want to know more about why you should choose dental implants?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions but prefer not to call? Browse our FAQs for quick answers and a better understanding of our dental office and services.
No, the process of getting dental implants is not painful, as local anesthesia is often used. As it wears off you may experience mild discomfort, but over-the-counter pain medication can be taken if necessary.
A dental implant doesn’t have a real root or nerves so it cannot feel like a real tooth. But it will look and function just like a real tooth.