Restore Your Smile With Implants
Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth. They can be a longer lasting solution than bridges, and this technique most closely simulates your natural teeth in both look and feel.
What are the advantages of getting a dental implant?
Implants have many advantages over bridges for tooth replacement:
- With bridges, the teeth on either side of the bridge must be prepared for crowns – even if these teeth wouldn’t otherwise benefit from crowns – so that the bridge can be cemented over these “anchor” teeth. With dental implants, only the area of the jaw where the missing tooth was located is affected.
- Dental implants feel more like your natural teeth. Chewing is more natural with implants since they are anchored in your jaw just like your natural teeth.
- Implants require the same care as your natural teeth, including brushing, flossing, and regular check-ups. No special dental implements are required for the normal care of your implants.
- Where bridges last about 10 years on average, with proper care an implant can last over 30 years.
Who can get dental implants?
Before beginning the process, Dr. Sackman will assess the strength of your gums and jawbone to support an implant. Please let us know if you have any chronic health concerns—such as heart disease and diabetes, and also whether you are a smoker—since these are important considerations when determining the appropriateness of implants for you.
What is the success rate of implants?
When dental implants are recommended, the success rate is very good—exceeding 95%.
How much time will it take to get my implant?
You may have heard that the process of getting an implant takes longer than most dental procedures—and you would be right. However, this additional time ensures that the implant is anchored correctly in the jaw (integrated), and that the bone will support it. It will feel and look like one of your natural teeth.
Getting an implant will take a minimum of four steps:
Step 1: A plan is created specifically for you:
- Dr. Sackman will develop a treatment plan based on your individual needs. This plan will specify which implant option is best suited to you.
Step 2: Your implant is inserted:
- The implant—a small titanium post replicating your natural tooth root—is inserted into the bone socket of your missing tooth.
- Once inserted, the bone will grow around the post, anchoring it in the jaw. The process of anchoring the post can take up to 12 weeks. The anchoring strength of your bone will be assessed by Dr. Sackman before your treatment continues to Step 3.
Step 3: Connector (abutment) is attached:
- A connector (abutment)—used to secure your new tooth—is attached to the titanium implant.
- Your new tooth will be created similar to the process of creating a crown: a mold is made of your bite, so your new tooth will fit perfectly into your mouth and will match your natural teeth.
Step 4: Your crown is secured:
- After the new tooth is created, it will be secured to your implant by bonding it to the abutment.
How painful is the process?
Placement of the implant itself is a surgery and as such needs to be managed similar to an extraction (see our Extractions page). After that, however, all subsequent steps are painless.
Can implants be used with a removable denture if I have 2 or more missing teeth?
There is an alternative to having many individual implants placed in your jaw. Your implant(s) can be fitted with an attachment that allows your removable dentures to be more securely fixed. With this technique, chewing will become more natural—more like your real teeth.
