Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots that provide foundations into which removable or permanent teeth may be inserted. Tooth decay, gum disease, and injuries are some of the primary reasons one might need dental implants. They help ease the suffering by literally “filling in the gaps.” In addition to helping with speech and chewing deficiencies caused by missing teeth, dental implants improve appearance, comfort, and self-esteem.

Dental implants are not to be confused with the actual replacement teeth. Rather, they are posts inserted into the jawbone. The dental implant process begins with a consultation. Then, the implant is placed into the bone where the missing tooth was. Local anesthesia may be used during the procedure, although some say getting an implant is not as painful as it seems. It can take 6 to 12 weeks for the bone and gums to heal after the implants are in.

Candidates for dental implants must be healthy enough for a routine dental extraction or oral surgery. They must also have healthy enough gums and strong enough of a jawbone to support the implants. Heavy smokers or those suffering from diabetes or heart disease should seek additional evaluations before considering the implants.