If you have lost one or several teeth, your dentist at Drs of Smiles Gentle Family Dentistry may encourage you to consider implant dentistry. Implant dentistry is a way of restoring your smile effectively with more permanent solutions that removable dentures or bonded dental bridges. The suggestion is often made to patients who are interested in a long-term option that requires little care and maintenance. However, not everyone is a proper candidate. Patients should have sufficient jawbone to support the restoration in place, otherwise the implant may fail.
What are implant?
Dental implants are best described by the team at Drs of Smiles Gentle Family Dentistry as a restoration that looks just like a very small hardware screw. This post is made of titanium, which is biocompatible with the body. It will not rust or disintegrate, and can actually encourage bone growth which solidifies it in place. The upper portion of the implant is fitted with an abutment that can be used to place a:
- Dental crown
- Porcelain bridge
- Full denture
The implant is placed during oral surgery, and then allowed time to heal as osseointegration (bone growth) occurs.
How does implant dentistry replace teeth?
Most patients think of dental implants as replacing a single tooth with a dental crown over the top. But the implant is much more versatile than that. In fact, it can be used to replace several teeth. Some patients use a dental implant on one or both sides of a dental bridge as support. Other times, several dental implants are placed along the dental arch and used with a conservative full denture to obtain an implant-supported denture. This versatility is what makes the implant a popular restoration at Drs of Smiles Gentle Family Dentistry.
Call our dental office today!
Drs. Scott LeSueur, Glenn LeSueur, and Charles Dodaro are dental professionals here to help patients in and around the Mesa, AZ community with their oral health and wellness. If you are experiencing tooth loss or extraction and want to restore your smile, we can help! Call the office at (480) 834-6991 to schedule an appointment with our team at 1056 South Val Vista Drive, Suite #1.