What are Dental Implants?
Dr. Diana Wohlstein’s Sunrise, FL dental practice uses state of the art computer technology, combined with current cosmetic and reconstructive techniques, to provide affordable dental implant solution for all patients.
A dental implant is simply, a titanium post (screw) that is placed in the jaw bone, in most cases mimicking the size and location of the patients previous tooth root. The implant is then used as a foundation to attach to a single dental crown. If the patient is missing multiple or even all of their teeth, multiple dental implants can be placed and attached to a bridge, or even in some cases the patient’s existing denture improving stability and retention.
What are Dental Implants used for?
Dental implants are used to replace lost or damaged teeth. They are also used to anchor bridges and dentures. For many patients, dental implants have restored their ability to eat all and any type of food, and returned the patient’s ability to smile and laugh with confidence, knowing their teeth are strong and beautiful. Dr. Wohlstein and our team are dedicated to restoring not only your smile but your confidence.
The Dental Implant Procedure in our Sunrise, FL office
Today’s dental implant restorations are virtually indistinguishable from other teeth. This appearance is aided in part by the structural and functional connection between the dental implant and the living bone. Implants are typically placed in a single sitting but require a period of osseointegration (healing).
Osseointegration is the process by which the dental implant anchors to the jaw bone. Osseointegrated implants are the most commonly used and successful type of dental implants. An osseointegrated implant takes anywhere from three to six months to anchor and heal, at which point your dentist can complete the procedure by placing a crown restoration, bridge or hybrid screw retained prosthesis. If osseointegration does not occur, the implant will fail.
Dental implantation, which is performed to replace missing teeth, can be done any time after adolescence or when bone growth is complete.
Preparing the Jaw for Surgery
A dental implant restoration is commonly composed of a titanium material screw and a crown. A small-diameter hole (pilot hole) is drilled on the edentulous (where there is no tooth) jaw sites in order to guide the titanium screw that holds a dental implant in place. To avoid damaging vital jaw and face structures like the inferior alveolar nerve in the mandible (lower jaw), a dentist must use great skill and expertise when boring the pilot hole and sizing the jaw bone. In many instances dentists use surgical guides created based on the CT scans when placing the dental implants.
Placement of the Implant
After the initial pilot hole has been drilled into the appropriate jaw site, it is slowly widened to allow placement of the implant screw. Once in place, surrounding gum tissue is secured over the dental implant and a protective cover screw is placed on top to allow the site to heal and osseointegration to occur. After weeks or months of healing, your dentist will uncover and determine if the implant is ready to be restored. Dr. Wohlstein will attach an abutment (which holds the crown or tooth-like replacement) to the implant. In some cases, the abutment may be attached during the initial procedure. When the abutment is in place, your dentist then will create a temporary crown. The temporary crown serves as a template around which the gum grows and shapes itself in a natural way. The process is completed when the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent crown.