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What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are rapidly becoming the most popular option for replacing missing teeth, as the process actually creates a kind of permanent tooth or teeth to replace either one missing tooth or many. A screw is inserted into the gum, where it bonds and heals into the gum, after which a crown is fashioned and placed over this screw, creating a tooth that’s just as strong and permanent as the original tooth.Dental Implants Explained:The concept of a dental implant is very simple – it’s an artificial tooth root that will hold a crown that your dentist/periodontist will “sculpt” to look like your real tooth. Dental implants support a replacement tooth in essentially the same way that your natural tooth root supported your natural tooth. A dental implant may not just be “the next best thing to a real tooth,” it can often be even better and stronger! While the initial cost of dental implants will be greater, they’re far better in the long run financially given the fact that bridges may need to be replaced every 7 to 10 years, while dentures usually have a life span of only 3 to 8 years. But a dental implant will last the rest of your life with proper care and hygiene!Steps to Getting Dental Implants:The first step in your dental implant process is to develop the treatment plan for your particular situation. Dental implants can restore or correct many issues; they can be used to replace a single tooth or several teeth, they can be used as anchors to support a fixed permanent bridge, they can support loose teeth by being splinted to them, they can support replacement teeth for an entirely toothless jaw, and there is also the option of using dental implants to provide stability for a complete denture, which will anchor the denture firmly without any slipping, improving both speech and eating.The next step in the process is that the tooth root implant is placed into the bone socket where the tooth is missing. The tooth root implant is a small post made of titanium, and one will be implanted into the jaw wherever a tooth is needed, however many teeth need to be replaced. The jawbone will heal around and actually fuse with this implanted metal post. The healing process can take from 6 to 12 weeks.The final step is when the healing is complete and the implant has bonded into the jaw. When the implant has completely healed, a small connector post is attached to the implant post. This is what will hold the new tooth securely. Then, Dr. Fundaminsky will make impressions of your teeth, create a model of your bite and surrounding teeth, and use the model to create your replacement tooth, called a crown, which will then be permanently fixed to the abutment. Dr. Fundaminsky will match your new tooth or teeth to your natural teeth, so that when your implant is secured within your jawbone, it will look, feel and function exactly like your natural teeth, plus, your new tooth will last just as long, if not longer, than the original tooth!

It’s that simple!