Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots made from titanium. If you have a missing tooth, Dr. Parhizkar surgically places the implant into your jawbone through the empty socket. A replacement tooth — a dental crown or bridge — then connects to the implant. 

Because dental implants hold your replacement teeth in place, they look and function just like your natural teeth. They don’t sit on top of your gums like dentures, so they won’t shift or slide when you speak or chew. 

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants offer several advantages over less permanent tooth replacement options, such as:

Appearance

Whether you choose single crowns, a dental bridge, or full dentures, dental implants hold your replacement teeth firmly in place just like your natural teeth.

Stability

While dentures can shift on your gums, bridges are vulnerable to wear-and-tear. Meanwhile, implants hold your teeth to prevent unwanted movement.

Eating and speaking 

Dental implants allow you to speak without excess saliva and eat without discomfort without shifting replacement teeth.

Oral health

Dental implants allow you to brush and floss just like you would with your natural teeth. No special care is required.

Bone resorption

The roots that hold your teeth in place stimulate your underlying bone. Without healthy roots, the bone re-absorbs and deteriorates. Dental implants replace your natural tooth roots to keep the tooth-supporting bone intact.

Time

Dentures typically need replacement after 7-10 years, while crowns and bridges last about 15 years with proper care. However, dental implants can last for 25 years or more.

What does the dental implants process involve?

The planning process for dental implants can take several weeks. It’s important to have enough healthy bone in your jaw to support implants. If you don’t have enough underlying bone, you may need a bone graft before implant surgery.

When you arrive for your implant appointment, Dr. Parhizkar administers an anesthetic before making an incision in your gums. Next, he carefully inserts the implant and sutures the opening. Over the next 6-12 weeks, your gum tissue and bone heal around the implant to secure it in place. 

Once your mouth heals fully, you return to Advanced Family Dentistry, where Dr. Parhizkar takes impressions to create your replacement teeth. The type of replacement teeth you choose typically depends on how many implants you need. Crowns can replace single and multiple teeth, while dentures can replace all the teeth in your mouth.

It takes about 2-3 weeks to create replacement teeth. At your final visit, Dr. Parhizkar connects your teeth to your implants to restore your smile.

To learn more about dental implants, call Advanced Family Dentistry or schedule an appointment online today.