Dental Implants Sumner

What Are Dental Implants?

Traditional tooth replacement options like bridges and dentures only replace the visible portion of teeth – and while this is incredibly useful, dental implants actually take tooth restoration one step further and replace the entire structure of a lost pearly white, from root to crown. Since they’re made from biocompatible posts that can fuse with bone tissue, they create an impressive foundation for the customized restoration that sits on top. This might be a crown, bridge, or denture depending on how many teeth you need to have replaced. Once placed, dental implants can last for several decades or potentially a lifetime with excellent care.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

The process for receiving dental implants can normally be categorized into four key steps:

• Initial Dental Implant Consultation – This appointment will include a thorough examination of your mouth and facial structures. From there, our team can determine if you can receive dental implants right away or if you need additional treatments beforehand, like gum disease treatment, tooth extraction, or bone grafting.
• Dental Implant Surgery – The oral surgery that is required to place your dental implants will be performed by outside specialists. We partner with some of the best in the area, so you can rest assured that your smile is in the most talented hands.
• Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment – After your surgery is complete, you will spend several months healing, which allows your implants to fuse with the bone in a process known as osseointegration. Once this is finished, you will receive your metal abutments, which help to attach your restoration to your implant post(s).
• Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s) – When nearing the end of your dental implant treatment, the last step is to receive your customized restoration. These are placed on top of the abutments and can be customized exclusively based on your needs. From there, you’ll be ready to head into the world with your new smile!

Benefits of Dental Implants

As a superior form of tooth replacement, dental implants come with a long list of impressive, life-changing benefits that go far beyond merely restoring lost teeth. The implants drastically improve oral functionality and allow patients to bite and chew their food with ease, as well as to converse clearly with others. They also prevent the bone resorption that commonly follows extended tooth loss, as they replace the entire structure of the lost tooth from root to crown. And it goes without saying that the confidence provided by dental implants is outstanding; being able to smile at others with a complete set of teeth will open several doors to opportunities and keep your overall morale quite high.

Who Dental Implants Can Help

Is there just one gap in your smile that needs to be filled? Or is an entire arch of teeth missing? No matter how extensive your tooth loss is, dental implants in Sumner remain a solution worth considering! To find out whether the treatment is right for you, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with our team. By performing a careful examination of your mouth and jaw, we can determine your candidacy for dental implant surgery as well as the number of implant posts that will be needed in your case.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

You will most likely be able to qualify for dental implants if you meet the following criteria:

• You don’t have any health conditions that would stop you from having minor surgery performed.
• You have enough bone density in your jaw to support implant posts.
• You are not currently suffering from gum disease or any other type of oral health issue that could cause problems for your dental implants.

Sometimes preliminary procedures may need to be performed before you can receive dental implants. This can include gum disease treatment, bone grafting, or tooth extraction depending on the current state of your mouth.

Missing One Tooth

You only need one dental implant post to replace a single missing tooth. Once the post has fully bonded with your jaw and has been restored with a customized dental crown, it will look and feel like a natural part of your smile. A dental implant and crown can be a great alternative to a dental bridge since placing the implant post doesn’t require removing any enamel from the teeth you still have.

Missing Multiple Teeth

In cases where three or more consecutive teeth are missing, it’s possible to fill in the empty space where they used to be with a pair of dental implants and a dental bridge. The crowns at either end of the bridge will be attached to the implant posts, thus keeping the prosthesis firmly anchored in place at all times.

If you’ve lost multiple teeth in different parts of the mouth, it may be possible to replace them with dental implants and a partial denture. Note that the number of implant posts needed to support a partial denture can vary depending on the situation.

Missing All Teeth

Even if an entire arch of teeth is missing, you can enjoy a complete smile again with dental implants. It often takes around four to six implant posts to secure a full denture. The prosthesis can either be removable or permanently fixed in place depending on your preferences and/or your specific needs. If you get a fixed implant denture, you will be able to brush and floss it as if it were a natural part of your mouth.