Dental Implants are a conservative procedure for replacing missing or extracted teeth. The full term for a dental implant is a root form endosseous implant. The implant itself is a small titanium screw that replaces the root form of a natural tooth. The titanium is used to attract and promote attachment in the jaw bone, hence the term endosseous (inside bone) implant. The dental implant is complete when a prosthetic crown, bridge, or denture is attached to it. Together, the implant plus prosthesis will feel and function as natural teeth would.
There are many advantages to dental implants. One example is when replacing a single tooth space between two natural teeth an implant replaces the need to prepare or drill the adjacent teeth to the empty space. Also, in some cases where partial dentures are needed, implants are able to support false teeth without the unsightly metal clasps, implants are able to support the soft tissues (lips and cheeks) where other wise the empty space of missing tooth would have left a depression of a bone defect.
The Smile Design team follows a proper protocol for implant planning, design, placement and restore.
Each case is different, so together we will discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of each case selectively