A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. The tooth is crafted from porcelain.
There are several types of dental implants; the most widely accepted and successful is the osseointergrated. A typical implant consists of a titanium screw (resembling a tooth root) with a roughened surface. An osteotomy or precision hole is carefully drilled into jawbone and the implant is installed in the osteotomy.
The titanium post can be successfully fused into bone when osteoblasts grow on and into the rough surface of the implanted titanium post. This forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant. A variation on the implant procedure is the implant supported bridge or implant-supported denture.
In an immediate function procedure, the gingiva is not flapped (Flapless). Instead, Dr. Shannon removes a small plug of gingiva directly over the drilling site. The site is drilled and the implant is installed. A crown is immediately added.
Patients are cautioned to give their new teeth an ample healing/integration time (weeks or months) before attempting normal chewing.
There are different approaches to place dental implants after tooth extraction. The approaches are:
- Immediate post-extraction implant placement.
- Delayed immediate post-extraction implant placement (2 weeks to 3 months after extraction).
- Late implantation (3 months after tooth extraction).
Replacement of missing teeth will help prevent painful shifting in the mouth.
"I don't have false teeth. Do you think I'd buy teeth like these?" – Carol Burnett
