Implant Dentistry

Implant dentistry offers a whole new approach to replacing missing teeth, almost regardless of the reason the teeth are missing. A titanium metal implant is surgically placed in the approximate place in the bone of the jaw(s) and allowed to osseointegrate (heal) undisturbed for six to nine months. At that time, it is ready for attachments.

In some instances, it may be necessary to augment the bed of bone in the area of the jaw where the implant will be placed. This involves a procedure known as bone grafting. If bone grafting is deemed necessary, an additional period of up to six months can be added to the time schedule of the entire restoration of the affected area. The implant, once integrated, functions like the root of the missing tooth and offers the ability to replace missing teeth without altering adjacent teeth, if there are adjacent teeth.

Other alternatives to the replacing of missing teeth involve removable partial or full dentures and fixed (cemented) bridges. The implants offer an advantage over the removable partial or full dentures as, many times, with implants, nothing is removed from the mouth, just like the natural teeth. Implants offer an advantage over fixed (cemented) bridges because, unlike with the fixed bridges, nothing is done to the adjacent teeth.

Without bone grafting, the costs involved with the implant are comparable to a traditional three unit fixed bridge and, thus, are a financially comparable treatment option. The big advantage of the dental implant is its ability to provide a fixed restoration (doesn’t come out of the mouth) without damaging or changing in any way the adjacent teeth.

In areas where there are multiple missing teeth, multiple implants can be placed with the same expectations and benefits as single implants. In those cases where the patient is completely edentulous (missing all their teeth in either or both jaws), multiple implant systems can be placed and teeth attached to the implants. This approach effectively restores the patient to the full use of their prosthetic teeth with the teeth firmly attached to or cemented to the implants. There is a significant improvement in the quality of life for the patient as they can return to a normal function when eating and normal asthetics and diction when speaking.

Longevity and predictability associated with dental implants has improved over the last decade to approach the high ninetieth percentile when viewed over a ten year period of time. Dental implants offer the patient one of the most significant advances in dental care in the last century.

Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants. Persons who may not be good candidates include those with underlying, unstable medical conditions, including, but not limited to uncontrolled diabetes and certain cancers, smokers, persons with very poor oral hygiene habits and heavy grinders and bruxers. While it is possible that none of the conditions is exclusively prohibitive to the use of dental implants, more extensive individualized information will need to be evaluated before proceeding with the use of dental implants in these and selected other cases.

More information about dental implants can be found by visiting The American Dental Association's website or at the site of Dr. Michael Lee.


....back to Services