Dental Implants

When dental implants, or any restorative option for that matter, are used, we make every effort to make your dental work blend in and look as natural as possible. The implant surgeons take great care and planning to place implants in a location that will not only be functional, but also allow us to make things looks as natural as possible.  In most cases, it is difficult to impossible for other people to identify the use of an implant.  There are times, however, where we may have challenges to what we want to do based on various factors.  In these cases where we may have compromises, including esthetics, we will always try to discuss these challenges prior to treatment. That said, there are many ways we can make things look natural, even in the most difficult cases.  The best way is to let us see you so we can evaluate your needs and then we can come up with a restorative plan with all of the options available.

There are various reasons we do crowns as well as various processes involved.  Most of the time, after a tooth is prepared and an impression taken, we can have the crown ready to cement in two weeks.  Crowns on implants will often require an additional week to make as implant components must be ordered by the lab and custom parts fabricated.  Those additional steps require more time at the lab. 

There are other times that the time frame may differ for various reasons.  Sometimes we like to keep a temporary crown on, or even the permanent crown, using temporary cement for an extended period. We will do this when we have concerns about the health of the nerve in the tooth and we want additional time to evaluate it.  If we need the lab to make a post for the tooth, this will also require additional time and appointments. Other times, we will send you to the lab so the lab technician can see you for custom shading and tinting so the best esthetic result can be obtained.  Timing of that appointment and availability of the patient and lab technician may delay the final finish date accordingly.

Like so many things, we want them done right, not just fast.  We understand that patients want things done right away, but we want them done right. We will always go the extra mile to make sure you get the result you want and deserve. 

Dentures and partials are both treatment options that utilize removable prosthetics to replace missing teeth.  Full dentures replace all of the teeth when they are all missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain and we need to replace the missing natural teeth with artificial teeth. Traditionally, both of these options involve prosthetics that the patient can take in and out of their mouth by themselves in order to clean them; however, modern dentistry also allows us to present options with implants. Utilizing implants we can now fabricate dentures or partials that the patient can take in and out of their own mouth by clipping onto implant attachments, as well as options that involve screwing the teeth into the implants where the patient cannot remove the teeth by themselves.  Give us a call to see which options are available to you.

Dental implants have several advantages over other tooth replacement options:

• Dental implants appear the most life-like and natural.
• The actual implant piece of the dental implant is made of titanium, a biocompatible metal.
• Dental implants are the most secure and stable.
• Dental implants prevent bone loss, keeping your jaw tissue healthy and preventing changes in the shape of your face.
• With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime.