Single Dental Implant

Tooth gaps restored with a single dental implant

Dental implants have changed the face of dentistry in the last 25 years. In basic terms, the implant is a replacement for the root of the tooth. Like a natural tooth root, the implant is secured in the jawbone. The single dental implant is then used to host a crown, bridge or prosthetic dentures and or high grade cosmetic teeth.

• The implant - a titanium rod that replaces the root of the tooth, it is surgically placed into the jaw.

• The abutment - the connector holding the implant to the prosthetic tooth (or teeth)

• The crown - this is the prosthetic tooth (teeth) that are visible when you smile and utilized when you bite.

  
  

Single Dental Implant - When you lose a tooth, not only does the obvious gap in your smile need to be addressed, but additionally, there are many ramifications that people just don't think about. There's often a hole in the jaw where the root was once housed. This can cause loss of gum tissue, which in turn can cause your remaining teeth to shift. In some cases, a tooth from the opposite position will grow or erupt further towards the gap, disrupting your natural bite. Food waste can become lodged. Often speech and proper digestion become an issue. Facial features can be affected, regularly causing you to look much older. The list of problems is long.

A bit more detail: The implant is a metal rod placed under the gum in the jaw bone. Once it is established and integrated, an abutment is placed over it and connected to the implant. That abutment will be the connector between the implant and the prosthetic tooth (teeth). The crown, or prosthetic tooth, is then placed on the abutment. So, you have the crown, connected to the abutment, which is attached to the implant, which in turn is connected to your jaw. The crown can be made of several different products, all resemble teeth in shape and shade. They feel and function like your natural teeth. Depending on the desired strength and look, we can choose from a variety of products, always balancing the benefits with the risks and ease of patient care.

These procedures require more skill, planning, and equipment, culminating in each patient's surgery being planned on a computer with their exact bony anatomy documented and utilized. Sometimes a robotic milled precision guide can be used to place the implant(s) in the precise location identified in virtual surgery during the planning phase.

The team at 3rdSET® is at the forefront of this cutting-edge dentistry.  We can provide video presentation to our patients, and with our patient's permission, we provide more detailed documentation to other dentists for learning purposes. We are proud to teach other dentists how to implement our processes for the best results for their patients.