Dental Implants Specialist

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Your teeth have two portions: the crown and the root. The crown is the part that you see above the gum line, while the root sits beneath the gums to hold it in place. When you lose a tooth, the root dissolves.

Dentures and dental bridges can replace missing teeth, but these devices can’t hold them in place without roots. The Iliff Family Dental team surgically places dental implants into your jawbone through the gums to secure your replacement teeth, just like your natural tooth roots.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

The most popular benefits of dental implants include:

Appearance

Dental implants prevent your dentures from shifting on your gums, removing unnecessary bulk.

Comfort

Without shifting dentures, dental implants can help prevent sores and swollen gums. This security can also allow for more comfortable chewing.

Speech

One of the most common complaints of dentures is changing speech patterns. Because dentures can shift on top of your gums, saliva buildup is common. This increased saliva production may lead to a lisp or slurred speech. Dental implants keep your teeth in place to prevent speech changes.

Durability

Dental implants are titanium posts that are as strong as they are biocompatible. Implants integrate into your jawbone smoothly and may last for more than 25 years.

Oral hygiene

Unlike dentures, which you have to remove and clean daily with a special solution, dental implants require no special cleaning. You can brush and floss twice a day as you usually would.

What can I expect from dental implants?

Planning and placing dental implants can take several months. During your initial visits, the team takes digital X-rays and performs a dental exam to determine whether you have enough tooth-supporting bone for dental implants. If you don’t, they may schedule a bone graft to stimulate new growth in your jawbone before implant surgery. 

Dental implant surgery typically requires anesthesia first to keep you comfortable and sedated. Then, the team begins by creating a small incision in your gums. They remove any necessary bone and tissue before surgically inserting the implant. Finally, they suture your gums to prevent infection.

Over the next 6 to 12 weeks, your jawbone naturally heals around the implant. This process, called osseointegration, which allows your implant to bond with the jawbone, firmly securing it in place. Once your mouth fully heals, the team takes impressions of your mouth to create your custom-made replacement teeth. 

The type of replacement teeth they recommend depends on the number of teeth missing. The team can replace your teeth with single or multiple crowns, partial dentures, or complete dentures that attach to your implants.

To learn more about dental implants, call the Iliff Family Dental office or schedule an appointment online today.