How Do Dental Implants Work?

Dental implants provide a safe, reliable, and alternative option to removable dentures. Gone are the days when your only choices to replace lost teeth are false teeth that are difficult to fit, need to be taken out to clean, or have bridges that are unreliable and must be replaced every five or ten years. The dental implant process can vary from a few months to a year depending on health, age, and other oral factors.

Like your own teeth, dental implants are a permanent option that become a part of your body. In 1952, Swedish orthopedic surgeon P.I. Branemark discovered that our bodies accept titanium, which can actually strengthen the bone to which it bonds. Now millions of people have had dental implants, and an estimated half a million a year continue to do so.

The Dental Implants Process

The titanium post that is inserted into your jawbone becomes the root of the new tooth. How long it takes to bond securely depends on the individual, which is why the patient’s health is an important factor when determining whether implants are an appropriate choice. If you have any health issues such as diabetes or heart disease, it’s possible that your dentist will request that you have clearance by your personal physician before beginning the procedure.

Attached to the post is an abutment (or connector) engineered to support the tooth, much like an abutment supporting the arches of a bridge. Next, a crown that has been designed, fitted, and made specially to match your natural teeth is fitted onto the abutment.

Since each step of a dental implant is customized to the unique individual, it is difficult for a dentist to know exactly how long it will take to complete the process. However, upon an initial consultation with one of our HollowBrook Dental dentists, we will be able to provide an estimate for how long the process will take.

Give HollowBrook Dental a call today to discuss dental implants so that you no longer have to worry about smiling, clicking teeth, eating a good steak, giving a speech, or kissing your loved one.