Replacing teeth with Implants

Patients may be missing teeth for a variety of reasons. They may have lost a tooth prematurely due to pain from cavity or cracked tooth. They may have lost bone around it due to periodontal disease, or they may have been congenitally missing the tooth (it never grew or developed). Implants are a great option to replace missing teeth that do not have to rely on other teeth for support. Implants do not get cavities but can get bone loss if not being kept clean. Implants are done in several stages. The first is to surgically place the titanium implant into the bone and then is typically covered and left to heal. Implants vary in terms of how long it takes to heal and is based on how stable it is when it is placed (2-6 mo). After the implant is healed, digital scans are made with a special implant part called a “scan abutment” are used to determine the precise location of the implant and adjacent teeth. From this information, a customized crown and abutment (connector) is fabricated and in a couple short weeks can be delivered into the patient’s mouth. Implants can be brushed/flossed like other teeth and should be cleaned and checked routinely to prevent bone loss and/or loss of the implant.