There are actually two phases to implant dentistry.
Phase 1: Using very accurate surgical techniques, an incision is made in the gum tissues and implants are placed into dimensionally controlled sites (depth and width) in the jawbone.
First, the gum tissue is opened and the jaw bone is tapped with a small drill and then drilled with a wider drill. The implant is inserted into place. The gum tissues are then closed and the healing phase begins. This may take anywhere from 3-6 months to ensure a strong base.
Phase 2: An abutment is secured to the top of the implant placing a new tooth crown onto the implant abutment. Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth or your dentures.
Before making the decision in going the implant route, ask yourself if there is another option. We offer many different implant alternatives.
The different alternative options to implants that we provide are:
Dental Implant Case
21 year old patient who lost tooth #8 due to trauma. The tooth was replaced with a dental implant and back to smiling again!