If you have dentures, bridges, broken or damaged teeth dental implants could be a great investment for your smile.

Dental implants are a permanent solution for replacing missing or decayed tooth with a new tooth or a set of new teeth.They are essentially a special titanium screw that can be fused with bone tissue when it is anchored into the jawbone. Once fused firmly and incorporated with the jawbone, a porcelain crown can then be fastened into the exposed portion of the dental implant creating a brand new artificial tooth that looks and feel like the real thing. When more extensive replacement is needed, the screws will be placed in the jaw (upper or lower) and will serve to hold the permanent denture in position. When these screws are set in place and strong, the denture will be attached to them and the gums will be allowed to heal over them.

The implants and the teeth they support the feel and look like real teeth. Patients enjoy more dental comfort than that offered by conventional dentures; implants are secure and stable in the mouth, and help to maintain the shape and structure of the jaw, which can on occasion be adversely influenced if teeth are missing from the bone. Adjacent teeth don’t need to be impacted like they would if bridges were applied.

A wide variety of techniques can be utilized depending on the state of the implant site. Timeframes needed to complete the dental implant procedure have a few contributing factors.

If a tooth needs to be extracted because it is decayed or damaged, as long as the surrounding gum is not damaged, the dental implant may be installed the same time as when the broken tooth is removed. This procedure will typically include a temporary crown and later replaced with a permanent crown once the bone fusion is complete.

In this healing period the surrounding bone grows and matures round the implant surface. Once the healing is complete thru different components the implants can support either a removable denture or a fixed bridge.

Usually dental implants occur through a process of stages. An implant is installed to the jaw bone and will need to fuse for roughly 3-6 months. Once this stage is complete, a post, known as an abutment, is put in the implant. Then the casts are removed off of the teeth and a crown made to match the existing tooth is adhered to the abutment. Implants can also support either a removable denture or a fixed bridge.

When the bone structure is weak the process becomes more complex. In some cases a bone graft might be needed, or the bone can be stimulated to grow. The bone must be allowed to heal before the dental implant is installed. A custom fit plate can be placed between the jaw and gum if the bone structure is not in good condition for a dental implant.

Missing teeth can cause lots of difficulty while chewing food, talking properly and most important of all, smiling broadly. Dental implants can improve eating and speaking capability, bringing comfort and confidence to your smile.