A natural tooth consists of a root and a crown. If you compare natural teeth to implant-supported replacement teeth, you’ll see they have the same basic parts. Both have a crown (the visible part used to chew food). Both have a root that holds the tooth securely under the gum and is anchored into the jaw. The difference is that the implant is made of titanium – the same time-tested material used by surgeons for artificial joints. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown. To replace the tooth, the surgeon first replaces the root with a small dental implant.
Time is allowed for bone to heal and grow around the dental implant. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. A support post (abutment) is then placed on the implant and a new replacement tooth (crown) is placed on top of the abutment. In many cases a temporary replacement tooth can be attached to the implant immediately after it is placed. If all of your teeth are missing, a variety of treatment options are available to support the replacement teeth.
Using the most recent advances in dental implant technology, Dr. Vasanthan, Dr. Yanni or Dr. Yi are able to place single stage implants. These implants do not require a second procedure to uncover them, but do require a minimum of six weeks of healing time before artificial teeth are placed. There are even situations where the implant can be placed at the same time as the tooth extraction – further minimizing your number of surgical procedures.
Dental implant placement is a team effort between your Periodontist and a restorative dentist. Dr. Vasanthan, Dr. Yanni or Dr. Yi perform the actual implant surgery, initial tooth extractions, and bone grafting if necessary. The restorative dentist (your dentist) fits and makes the permanent prosthesis. Your dentist will also make any temporary prosthesis needed during the implant process.
When gum recession is a problem or when some teeth or dental implants have thin gum tissue, gum augmentation procedures using various sophisticated and advanced plastic surgical techniques of the gums are an option. Gum grafting helps prolong the longevity of the teeth and dental implants.
Guided tissue regeneration is an advanced surgical technique which uses biological agents to help regenerate the bone and gum tissue lost due to gum disease. This procedure can also be done along dental implants which suffer from bone loss. Patients who go through this procedure will need to be on a 3 month recall.
Our state of the art diagnostic and planning technology gives us the ability to offer same day dental implant surgical services. We offer a variety of surgical options to restore and replace lost gum and bone tissue to help achieve a stable long term solution with dental implants and we partner with your dentist to accomplish these goals as your dentist will be the one to perform the crown process.
