What Are Dental Implants?

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dentalimplantpartsIs the thought of going through life with your current smile something that you cannot bear to envision? If your problem is tooth loss, considering your options is an extremely important decision. After all, replacing your missing teeth (even if it’s just a single tooth) can have a significant impact on your ability to feel good about your appearance, your ability to speak, and even your ability to chew your food. For patients seeking the most stable option that most closely mimics your missing natural tooth, we suggest you learn more about dental implants. Not quite sure what an implant is but you’re eager to find out? Discover more with the following details:

About Implant Posts

A dental implant is a post. It’s not the part of your tooth that sits above your gumline. Instead, it’s a dental prosthetic that replaces only your tooth’s roots. Made of titanium, the post is inserted into your jawbone. The good news is that once you have recovered from the placement of the post, it will support the following pieces:

  • An Abutment: This is an accessory that will fit within the top portion of your implant. We use this to connect your implant post to your restoration.
  • A Restoration: This is another term for the artificial tooth or other dental prosthetic that will replace the visible part of your tooth. We will “top” or “restore” your implant with a dental crown for a single tooth replacement. Or, we may restore several implants with a full or partial denture if you are looking to replace multiple teeth.

What to Expect

You will need to undergo a surgical procedure to receive your dental implant. Your post will be placed within your jawbone after a small incision is made in your gum tissue. You will need to allow your gum tissue to heal – during a recovery period that will last several months, you will also need to allow your implant post to fuse with your jawbone. This process is called “osseointegration.”

ABOUT YOUR DALLAS, TX FAMILY DENTISTS:

Dr. Tran, Dr. Hoang, and the friendly, welcoming staff at Gentle Smiles will do everything possible to make you feel at home. Contact us today by calling 972-329-7645 (972-329-SMILE) to experience our compassionate, effective, and individualized care. We proudly serve patients from Dallas, TX, and all surrounding communities, including Mesquite, Balch Springs, Garland, and Seagoville.