TL;DR
A dental implant is a small post, usually titanium, set into the jawbone where a tooth root used to be. Once the bone bonds to it, it anchors a crown, a bridge or a full denture that doesn’t depend on the neighboring teeth or on suction. The process takes months, most of it healing time. Our smile gallery includes a single implant and porcelain crown replacing an upper front tooth, and a full upper and lower rehabilitation with an implant-supported upper denture. Dr. Prane will talk through implants alongside a bridge or a denture.
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root. It has three parts. The implant itself is a screw-shaped post placed in the jawbone. A connector called an abutment attaches to it and rises just above the gum. On top sits the restoration you see and chew with: a crown, a bridge or a denture.
What makes an implant work is a process called osseointegration, in which living bone grows tightly against the surface of the post over a period of months. Once that bond forms, the implant can carry chewing forces much like a natural root, and it helps keep the surrounding bone from shrinking the way it does under an empty gap.
Who is a good candidate for implant-supported teeth?
Most adults who are missing teeth and in reasonable general health can be considered for implants. The deciding questions are about bone, gums and healing:
None of these automatically rules you out. A thin ridge of bone can sometimes be built up with grafting, and gum disease can be treated first. The point of the consultation is to find out what your mouth needs before anything is planned, and to compare implants honestly with the alternatives.
- Is there enough bone, in height and width, to hold the post?
- Are the gums healthy, with any gum disease treated and under control?
- Are conditions such as diabetes well managed?
- Do you smoke? Smoking slows healing and raises the risk of an implant failing.
What does the implant process involve?
Implant treatment runs in stages over several months. It starts with an exam, X-rays and a conversation about which teeth are missing and what you want from the result. If an implant suits you, the post is placed in the bone and the gum is allowed to heal over or around it.
Then comes the waiting. The bone needs time, often a few months, to bond with the implant. Once it has, the abutment is attached, an impression is taken, and the final crown, bridge or denture is made and fitted. Our page of instructions for after implant surgery covers the first days of healing.
Can implants replace one tooth or a whole arch?
Implants can replace a single tooth, several in a row, or every tooth in an arch. Two of the six cases in our smile gallery show the range. In one, a patient missing an upper central incisor, a front tooth right at the center of the smile, received a single implant with an all-porcelain crown.
The other is a full rehabilitation of both arches: an implant-supported upper denture, with implants and crowns in the lower jaw. A denture held by implants clicks onto its attachments, so it doesn’t rely on suction or adhesive to stay put. Between those two sits the implant-supported bridge, where two implants carry three or more teeth, an option worth comparing with a conventional fixed bridge. Results differ from one patient to the next.
How do you care for an implant, and how long does it last?
An implant can’t decay, but the gum and bone around it can become infected, a condition called peri-implantitis. That’s why you brush and floss around an implant just as carefully as around a natural tooth, and why regular cleanings and checkups matter even more afterward.
With good care and a healthy mouth, implants commonly last many years. The crown or denture on top takes the daily wear and may eventually need replacing, while the post in the bone usually stays put. Smoking and uncontrolled gum disease are the biggest threats to long-term success.