Dental Implants

Dental implants are designed to resemble natural teeth, both having the same basic parts. A natural tooth has a crown (the visible part used to chew food) and a root that secures the tooth under the gum and is anchored to the bone. The difference is an implant is made out of titanium.

When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown. To replace the tooth, the surgeon will first replace the root with a dental implant. Once surgically placed, the bone bonds with the titanium creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. This process can take between 2-6 months.

A support post (abutment) is then placed on the implant and a new replacement tooth (crown) is placed on top of the abutment. In some cases a temporary replacement tooth can be attached to the implant immediately after it is placed.

Implants are a team effort between the oral and maxillofacial surgeon and your general dentist.

For more information on dental implants, please visit the following link. https://myoms.org/what-we-do/dental-implant-surgery/how-do-dental-implants-work/