A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that a dentist places into your bone. This artificial root is the initial step towards giving you back your tooth. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or are just congenitally missing a tooth or more.
It is a good substitution to dentures and bridgework because when completed, it is as stable as a new tooth or teeth and does not require sacrificing the adjacent teeth enamel and dentin to achieve stability, as does the bridgework.
Once completed, there will be:
- No embarrassing moments such as with dentures falling out of position.
- No denture odor or denture breath.
- No difficult hygiene such as flossing and brushing under a bridge restoration.
- Preservation of the remaining bone in your mouth. Without teeth or implant in place, often the bone will continue to disappear until your face looks sunken in without the denture in place. Even with a bridge in place, the bone will usually continue to disappear underneath the bridge.
It may sound intimidating or painful. Rest assured that your comfort is our priority.
Mini-implants
The mini dental implant procedure is a much less involved process than conventional dental implants. In addition to saving time in the dental office, you will have far less discomfort following this procedure due to the minimally involved dental procedure (usually requiring no surgical flaps or sutures). We are able to perform these procedures at a lower cost than associated with the larger dental implants.
The use of mini dental implants initially started as an anchor for orthodontic movement of teeth. For many years since, other uses such as holding dentures in place, providing patients with ability to chew effectively, smile, and speak with comfort and confidence has been very common. Today, use of this non-surgical mini dental implant technology has been expanded for anything from replacing a single tooth to full mouth restoration with a 95% success rate.
The entire process consists of a consultation visit during which x-rays and impressions are taken. Then, at the next visit, the mini-implants are placed in your mouth along with the final restoration(s). In about 30 minutes, a single tooth can be replaced without the need to grind down healthy tooth enamel. At that point, you are ready to enjoy foods you wish. This same procedure can be used to replace multiple missing teeth in a slightly longer dental appointment.