Dental Implants
Dental implants are the replacement of tooth roots in the mouth. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Dental implants, which are placed in the jawbone, are small anchors made of a biocompatible metal called titanium. The anchors begin to fuse with the bone over the course of a few months. After the fusing process, known as osseointegration, abutment posts are inserted into the anchors to allow for the permanent attachment of the replacement teeth.
An implant supported bridge is a restorative solution for spaces where three or more adjacent teeth are missing. The bridge replaces multiple adjacent missing teeth without the use of a denture. This restoration typically requires two implants to support the porcelain bridge. The bridge provides a functional and aesthetic replacement for the patient’s natural teeth.
Implant supported dentures can be either fixed or removable. This solution requires the placement of two or more implants. If a removable denture is selected, the denture will “snap” on to the implant rather than requiring the use of denture paste or adhesives. Removable dentures can be taken out for cleaning at night.
This technique offers many advantages over traditional dentures.
This procedure is a unique implant solution that allows patients who are missing all of their upper or lower teeth to replace a full arch of teeth using only 4 implants as “anchors”.
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.
Using CBCT scans and restorative virtual treatment planning, along with specialized training, we are able to provide guided implant placement for our patients.
Using a virtual 3-D model or a physical model, implant placements and the following restorative work can be simulated to create the ideal patient treatment plan.