Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants?

Implants are a small titanium post that are surgically placed into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. The process begins with a thorough consultation and examination to determine the best treatment plan. During the procedure, the implant is inserted into the jawbone, and over the course of a few months, it fuses with the bone to act as an anchor. Once fully integrated, a custom crown is attached to the implant to restore the appearance and function of your natural teeth.

The benefits of dental implants are significant – they provide a durable, lost lasting solution that looks and feels like real teeth, improve speech and chewing ability, and help preserve jawbone health by stimulating bone growth, preventing bone loss that often occurs with missing teeth.

The Surgical Procedure

First, implants are carefully placed within your jawbone along with a bone graft, if necessary. Over the next few months, the implant will fuse with the jawbone. Fusion with the jawbone is crucial for the stability of the implant. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. You should be able to wear temporary dentures and eat a soft diet during this time. At the same time, your dentist is forming new replacement teeth.

After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. Dr. Olsson or Dr. will uncover the implants and attach small posts that protrude through the gums and will act as anchors for the artificial teeth. When the artificial teeth are placed, these posts will not be seen. The artificial teeth or crown should be placed by prosthodontist. The entire procedure usually takes six to eight months.

Surgical Advances

Using the most recent advances in dental implant technology, Dr. Olsson and Dr. are able to place single stage implants. These implants do not require a second procedure to uncover them, but do require a minimum of six weeks of healing time before artificial teeth are placed. There are even situations where the implants can be placed at the same time as a tooth extraction – further minimizing the number of surgical procedures.

Dental Implant placement is a team effort between an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a restorative dentist. While Drs. Olsson or performs the actual implant surgery, initial tooth extractions, and bone grafting if necessary, the restorative dentist (your dentist) fits and makes the permanent prosthesis. Your dentist will also make any temporary prosthesis needed during the implant process.

What Types Of Prosthesis Are Available?

A single prosthesis (crown) is used to replace one missing tooth – each prosthetic tooth attaches to its own implant. A partial prosthesis (fixed bridge) can replace two or more teeth and may require only two or three implants. A complete dental prosthesis (fixed bridge) replaces all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw. The number of implants varies depending upon which type of complete prosthesis (removable or fixed) is recommended. A removable prosthesis (over denture) attaches to a bar or ball in socket attachments, whereas a fixed prosthesis is permanent and removable only by the dentist.

Drs. Olsson and perform in-office implant surgery in a hospital-style operating suite, thus optimizing the level of sterility. Inpatient hospital implant surgery is for patients who have special medical or anesthetic needs or for those who need extensive bone grafting from the jaw, hip or tibia.