Our family dentists at Hanin Dental Surrey can use dental implants to restore the appearance and function of patients' smiles. Here's more about what dental implants are and how the dental implant process works.
Dental implants can be an ideal way to replace missing teeth and restore function to your mouth. If you're considering dental implants it's important to understand exactly what dental implants are, and how the implant process works.
Parts of The Dental Implant:
The Implant
While we tend to refer to all 3 parts of the dental implant collectively as 'a dental implant', the actual implant portion is a tiny titanium screw that is surgically placed in the jaw where the root of the missing natural tooth would have been.
This tiny screw forms a 'root' or stable base to which an artificial tooth can be attached.
Gradually, over time the implant will become integrated with your jaw bone and form a strong permanent base to your artificial tooth (restoration).
Following the surgical placement of the implant, it will take approximately 4-6 months to heal before the next step in the dental implant process can begin.
The Abutment
The abutment is a connector which secures the restoration to the dental implant. The implant abutment is typically made from titanium or a ceramic material.
The abutment can be attached to the dental implant once your jaw has had sufficient time to heal. The healing process may take 4-6 months before an abutment can be added.
The Restoration
Once the abutment has healed properly and is securely in place, your restoration can be attached. Your restoration could be a single artificial tooth, or multiple artificial teeth.
Crown
If only one tooth is being replaced a dental crown can be used.
The dental crown will be screwed or cemented to the abutment to create an artificial tooth which will look and function almost exactly like a natural tooth. Dental crowns can be ceramic, or a mixture of metal and porcelain.
Bridge
A dental bridge may be used if you are replacing a number of teeth in a row.
Bridges are attached to just two implants which hold it securely in place, and are usually made from porcelain.
Denture
An implant supported denture can be used if you are replacing a full jaw of teeth.
Unlike conventional dentures, implant supported dentures are held securely in place with the help of dental implants.
Implant supported dentures are typically made with either acrylic resin or porcelain teeth attached to an acrylic base.