It used to be almost inevitable that as people age, they would lose more and more teeth, and ultimately wind up with full dentures.  It was an unfortunate situation, and one that occurred all too often.

There have been many advances in dental care. People are keeping their teeth longer than ever before. Yet, there are times, when teeth may be lost either to decay, to gum disease or to accident.  When this happens there is now a far superior method of replacing missing teeth: dental implants.

There are two components to dental implants. The first part is the surgical component. Depending on the number of teeth that are missing, one or more implants are placed within the bone. These implants are usually a titanium cylinder, sometimes coated with  artificial bone. They are placed into the bone and allowed to heal. Over a period of several months, the implant will slowly fuse with the bone, until it is solid and strong.

At that point, the second phase of implant dentistry occurs:  the restorative phase. Depending on the number of implants placed, and the number of missing teeth, these can be varied in nature.

If one tooth is being replaced, an attachment will be placed into the implant body within the bone, and a crown built upon that. Once cemented into place, the crown will be as strong as a natural tooth, and will be able to function perfectly normally.

If more than one tooth is missing, several implants may be placed. Crowns can be placed on each implant, or depending on the number of teeth missing, and on budgetary considerations, a fixed,  cemented bridge or  bridges may be installed. Or, if all teeth are missing, two or four implants might be placed, and a removable denture made which fit directly into the implants by way of attachments.  Even though the final restoration is removable,  by virtue of its being held in place by implants, it will be more stable, more retentive and much easier for the individual to eat, speak and function as compared to a traditional, non-implant borne denture.

Implants have revolutionized restorative dentistry. It has made replacing missing teeth much easier for the dentist, and gives a far superior result to the patient than any other restoration available today.  It has become the standard of care in replacing missing teeth, and is a method which will lead to the most positive results in tooth replacement