If you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, you may benefit from dental implants. Implants are titanium screws which are placed into the jawbone to act as “artificial roots”. 

The implant can then be used to build a single tooth; support a bridge for multiple missing teeth; or utilized to stabilize a denture. Implant technology was first developed by orthopedic surgeons who have utilized implants to repair and replace diseased joints (e.g. hips and knees) for over 50 years.

Implants have been utilized in dentistry for over 30 years, however the technology has evolved dramatically during this time. Today, dental implants have become the standard-of-care for replacing missing teeth.

Benefits of Dental Implants

• A Natural Smile
• Chew Your Food Comfortably
• Enhanced Confidence
• Long-Lasting
• Tooth-saving:   Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched which is a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!

Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Any person who has had the misfortune to lose one or more teeth, or even a part of the jaw bone, is a candidate for dental implants.   Once we have established the absence of one or more teeth, as the basic criteria for placing dental implants, we must consider two additional factors that may ultimately affect the outcome of treatment.

Firstly, patients need to be in a good state of health and we would expect that any systemic illnesses or condition that may adversely affect healing is well under control. The diabetic patient, as an example, may be an acceptable candidate for dental implants provided that their disease process has been addressed and they are carefully monitoring their medications and level of blood sugar. Any concerns that you may have regarding your medical history should be discussed with your doctor at a consultation appointment.

Secondly, the patient must have enough bone within which the implant(s) can be placed. Whenever a tooth is lost, bone in the surrounding area begins to remodel and slowly disappears. In addition, dental infection results in bone loss.   In the not too distant past, patients who presented with insufficient bone were simply classified as non-candidates, and were left untreated. Fortunately we are now able to transform the majority of non-candidate patients into good candidates for dental implants with the use of a variety of simple grafting procedures. Often the grafting can be done in conjunction with the placement of implants in a single surgical procedure. This minimizes patient inconvenience and decreases the treatment time.

Some patient's present with more significant bone loss and may require more extensive grafting procedures that need to be accomplished prior to the placement of implants. In any case, it is important to remember that almost any patient can receive dental implants as long as they are committed to treatment. Again, your doctor should discuss the necessity of any grafting procedures at the consultation appointment.

For more information on dental implants go to:

American Academy of Periodontology
http://perio.org/consumer