Dental Implants and What They are Used for

Dental implants are the best method for replacing teeth that have been lost. They can be used to replace a single tooth or to replace every tooth.

Surgery is required in order to place dental implants. During the procedure, the dentist will make an incision in your gums at the site of the missing tooth. The dentist will then drill a hole into the exposed jawbone. The dental implant will be placed into this hole and the gums will be closed back up. It will take several months to heal from this procedure. If an abutment was already attached to your implant, no further surgery is required. If there was no abutment attached, an additional surgery will be required to attach it. The last step is placing a crown on top of the dental implant.

Dental implants are used because they very closely mimic the look, feel, and function of your natural teeth. In addition to making eating and speaking easier than they are with other replacement options, dental implants serve to keep the jawbone stimulated. By stimulating the jawbone, it prevents the loss of bone that would otherwise occur. No other tooth replacement option offers that.

If you are missing one tooth, it is replaced by one dental implant. Dental implants are able to support more than one tooth, though. Implant-supported dentures and overdenutres only require 4-8 implants in order to replace an entire arch of teeth.

If you would like to learn more about whether or not you would make a good candidate for dental implants, contact our dental implants dentist to schedule a consultation.

Back to Blog