Dental Implants Specialist

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts that sit within your upper or lower jaw. These posts replace the root part of your missing tooth, so they hold the new prosthetic tooth in place above your gums. 

Dental implants are the most effective way to replace missing teeth because the tooth restorations look, feel, and work just like real teeth. 

When you have dental implants, nobody but a high-level dental professional can tell the difference between your natural teeth and the dental implant restorations. 

How does the dental implant process work?

At Central Avenue Dental, you start with high-tech imaging. The dental specialists use a computed tomography (CT) scan to get a 3D map of your whole mouth. 

CT scans show your jaw bone structure, bone density, nerve pathways, and surrounding tissue in great detail, which makes them the ideal planning tool for dental implants. 

After the planning stage, you have oral surgery to place the new dental implants. After surgical post insertion, there is a healing period. Osseointegration, bone merging with the implant, occurs during this time. 

After healing, you receive an abutment, a connecting piece atop your implant post. Your new abutment secures your tooth restoration. The type of tooth restoration depends on how many teeth require replacement. 

For single tooth replacement, you usually have a single porcelain or ceramic tooth prosthetic. For multiple missing teeth, your dental implant may anchor a larger restoration, like a small bridge.

If you need an entire new arch of teeth, All-on-4® is a great option because it has four dental implants that hold an entire set of dentures permanently in your mouth. 

What are the advantages of dental implants?

Dental implants are unquestionably the best way to replace teeth. Advantages include:

• Realistic looking new teeth
• Excellent longevity - up to 25 years 
• Preserve jawbone density and facial structure
• Prevent shifting of other teeth
• Restore normal chewing and eating 
• Restore normal speech
• Easy to care for - just like natural teeth

If you have All-on-4 rather than conventional dentures, you also have the advantages of no slipping, no worries about what you eat, and no denture adhesive. 

Are dental implants right for me?

Most Central Avenue Dental patients who lose one or more permanent teeth are good candidates for dental implants. 

The main qualifying factors include healthy gums (no periodontal disease) and adequate healthy jawbone. The dental specialists can easily evaluate both of these things with an oral exam and CT scan in the office. 

If you have periodontal disease, you can start treatment right away to restore your oral health before proceeding with dental implants. If you have too little jawbone, a bone grafting procedure can restore structural integrity so you can have dental implants later. 

Learn more about how dental implants can restore your teeth by calling Central Avenue Dental or clicking the online booking link.