How Dental Implants Work – FAQ

What are dental implants? We want to answer some of your questions now to help you decide if you want to pursue dental implants with our Brentwood Dental Group dental clinic.

If you’re looking for tooth replacement options, the dental implant process uses state-of-the-art technology to give you one or more teeth that are as stable and long-lasting as natural teeth. Look for your question below, or call Brentwood Dental Group for more.

Is This Surgery Safe?

This dental surgery is one of the most successful dental surgeries performed, with a 95% average success rate. We thoroughly prepare for it with dental x-rays and other scanners, ensuring the implant site is prepared and the implantation is planned in detail.

Plus, each implant root is made of titanium, which is naturally accepted by the human body. During a recovery period, your body will integrate it into your jawbone.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

A dental implant is made up of three parts:

  • The fixture. This small titanium post is placed directly in the jawbone and acts as the tooth root. It anchors the new tooth and is the reason implants are so long-lasting.
  • The abutment. The abutment is what connects the implant to the dental prosthetic. The style of your abutment will change depending on the type of prosthetic you receive.
  • The dental prosthetic. The prosthetic—a dental crown, bridge, or denture—is the final piece of an implant and is made to fit your mouth. It looks and acts just like a natural tooth.

How Long Does a Dental Implant Last?

Each tooth implant is just the titanium root that is implanted into the jaw. And that is designed to last for the rest of your life, after it is naturally bonded with your jawbone.

A tooth restoration that is placed on one or more implants, such as implant-supported dentures, has a shorter lifespan. We need to bring it in for maintenance or replacement sometimes. But the implant root is a lifetime investment that doesn’t wear out.

How Can You Replace Multiple Teeth?

If several of your teeth in a row have suffered damage or been knocked out, your family dentist can give you multiple new teeth in a row. We can use:

  • Single-Tooth Implants: We place a titanium root for each individual tooth and attach an implant abutment and crown to each.
  • Dental Bridge: We craft an appliance holding two or more teeth and support it on (often) two implants.

Of course, we can replace a full arch of teeth with dentures.

What Are Implant-Supported Dentures?

Traditional dentures are attached to your gums through suction and temporary denture adhesive. This system works well for some patients but not for others.

If you have tried traditional dentures and are uncomfortable with them—or want to try an alternative from the beginning—implant-supported dentures may be a better option. These do not touch the gums, being attached to several strategically-placed implants instead.

We can make either of the following options:

  • Full Dentures: These replace an entire arch of teeth. Some patients need some of their natural teeth extracted first. Then, we use an implant surgery (and sometimes a jaw bone graft) to place four or more implants to support dentures.
  • Partial Dentures: We can craft a custom denture that holds several new teeth and fits around your healthy natural teeth.

Implant-supported dentures are often fixed dentures, which are only removable here at our local dentist office in Brentwood. You’ll be able to brush and floss these like natural teeth, along with eating any type of food that you like.

Call Brentwood Dental Group for Professional Implants

We coordinate every part of the implant process here, from the consultation to bone grafting (when needed) to implant surgery to tooth restoration. Call now for your consultation and exam. We’ll find the right restorative dentistry option for your unique and beautiful smile.

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