Implant Restoration

Missing front teeth are cute on kids who still get visits from the tooth fairy, but as you get older it can affect your confidence and your ability to maintain good oral health. The use of dental implants to restore your smile is one of the greatest advancements in dentistry over the last few decades, and now many people are turning to dental implants for a permanent, lifetime solution to gaps in their smiles.

 

Dental implants are posts that are inserted into the upper or lower jaw to hold a false tooth securely in place. The posts are made out of titanium, which is a material that’s compatible with your body. The crown is then secured onto the post and functions exactly like a natural tooth.

 

There are three steps to receive a dental implant:

1. An oral surgeon will numb your mouth and jaw and insert a titanium post into your jawbone. To allow the jawbone time to heal, we will recommend a special diet. Plan on eating lots of soup and other soft foods during the healing process.
    

2. Your jawbone will naturally undergo a process called “osseointegration” which means “combines with the bone.” Your jawbone will heal and grow around the post, securing it into place. Each patient’s healing process will take a different amount of time, but typically the process will take a matter of months. It’s important to make sure the process is completely finished before you receive your replacement tooth so that it will last for the rest of your life.
    

3. Dr. Appel, Dr. Caton, or Dr. McGlumphy will mold and create a personalized dental crown made to fit your mouth. The crown will match the natural color of your teeth, so no one will even know that you have a replacement tooth. Before you receive this specially made crown, our dentists will give you a temporary crown while your jaw heals and the crown is made. This will keep you comfortable during the healing process. They’ll then cement the crown into place, and you’ll no longer have a gap in your smile!