Replacing missing teeth can help to restore your smile and your confidence. Your Markham dentists may need to place a dental implant to support a tooth replacement such as a crown, bridge or denture. Here's more about how the dental implant procedure works and how dental implants can help to restore the appearance and function of your smile.
What is a dental implant?
The actual dental implant portion of your tooth replacement is a tiny titanium screw. This screw is surgically placed into your jaw by your dentist, and will form an artificial root for your new tooth.
Once the site of the dental implant has healed, an abutment will be attached to the screw. The abutment will connect the dental implant to the restoration.
The third part of the dental implant is the restoration. A restoration is an artificial tooth, or teeth. Your restoration may be a crown (to replace a single tooth), a bridge (to replace one or more consecutive teeth) or a denture (if a full jaw of teeth is being replaced).
The Dental Implant Procedure
Every smile is unique. Sometimes, dental implants can be placed on the same day that the teeth are extracted. When that's not possible, it takes three to six months for the site of your extraction to heal before the implant can be placed.
After your jaw has healed, your dentist will surgically implant the titanium screw into your jaw bone beneath the gum tissue. Once the implant has been placed, your dentist will stitch the gum tissue back into place.
The dental implant will bond with the bone and attach to the gum as your mouth heals. This process may take up to several months.
Your dentist will be able to attach the abutment to the rod once your implant has healed, and finally your dentist will attach your new restoration to the abutment.
The dental implant procedure should give you a natural-looking smile that will function much like your natural teeth.Why use a dental implant?
Dental implants can help to address a number of dental issues and protect your oral health. Dental implants can help to prevent surrounding teeth from shifting, relieve jaw pain and even correct some bite issues. Chewing, speech and digestion can be improved with the help of dental implants.
