Dental Implants
If you have missing or severely damaged teeth, dental implants can provide a permanent solution to replace the visible portion of the tooth as well as the non-visible tooth root. This solution prevents ongoing damage to the underlying structure of the mouth and leaves you with a full, natural-looking smile that is as easy to maintain as your natural teeth.
What makes dental implants different from traditional tooth replacement options such as dentures or bridges is that dental implants replace the whole tooth, including the root.
This provides several benefits, including:
- Preventing bone loss – When the tooth root is missing, the underlying structure of the jawbone will slowly begin to be reabsorbed into your body, weakening the jaw, permanently affecting the structure of your mouth and your facial appearance, and potentially causing serious problems with your bite.
- Minimizing maintenance – Unlike dentures, a dental implant does not require extensive special care. With a dental implant, you can eat, drink, brush, and floss just as you do with your natural teeth.
- Minimizing structural damage to surrounding teeth – Unlike dental bridges, a dental implant requires no modifications to surrounding teeth. The implanted root portion of your new tooth can fully support the above-gum portion. In the case of dental bridges, the surrounding teeth must be modified.
The dental implant process takes place in two steps: Placement of the implant, and attaching the crown portion of the replacement tooth.
During our initial examination, we will do a thorough checkup to ensure that you are a good candidate for dental implants. In some cases, people who have had missing teeth for some time may have suffered from bone loss and may require bone grafting before they can have a successful dental implant procedure.
Implanting the "Root"
The root portion of a dental implant is actually a titanium rod that is surgically placed in the position of the missing tooth root.
For this part of the procedure, a strong titanium rod is surgically implanted into your jawbone. For this part of the procedure, you will be referred to a dental specialist.
Once this procedure is complete, your new implant will require time to heal and fuse with your jawbone. This process may take up to a few months to complete, depending on the implant itself and on individual physiological factors such as healing ability. During this period, we may be able to fit you with a temporary crown that will let you eat and drink normally.
Attaching the Crown
Once the implant has fully healed, we will attach a permanent crown to replace the above-gum portion of the tooth. This process is largely identical to the process for crowns, except that the crown is attached to your dental implant rather than to an existing natural tooth.
Your Consultation
Call or email our clinic in Innisfail, Alberta Canada today to schedule your personal consultation with us. We'll answer any questions you have about this and our other dental options.
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