How Does a Dental Implant Work? Understand What the Procedure Entails

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Missing or severely damaged teeth can make you self-conscious and negatively affect how you chew your food and your bite alignment and change the shape of your face.

Many dentists recommend dental implants for patients who need to replace their missing teeth. When you get a consultation at your local dental clinic, you can ask your dentist whether you’re a suitable candidate, how a dental implant works, and what the procedure entails.

How Does a Dental Implant Work?

Dental implants are small titanium screws surgically inserted deep within the jawbone to function as the root for an artificial tooth. They are a permanent and fixed solution for one or more missing teeth.

Most people who wonder how a dental implant works can get a better idea by understanding the three components.

The implant: This part looks like a tiny metal screw and is surgically placed in the area of the missing tooth’s root, within the jawbone.
Abutment: The abutment sits on top of the implant and serves as a connector between the metal implant and the restoration.
Dental restoration: A dental crown is bonded or attached to the abutment to replace the missing tooth.

Dental implants work through a process called osseointegration. The implant post features screw-like threads that are coated in a biofilm. When the post is embedded in the jawbone, the pressure triggers the release of bone cells called osteoblasts which calcify and deposit on the titanium post. As the bone tissue gradually builds up, it secures the post.

Types of Dental Implants

Dental implants can improve the quality of your life by restoring confidence in your smile. They also look like natural teeth and enhance your chewing function and speech impaired by missing or broken teeth.

Dental implants are natural-looking replacements for teeth and last decades with proper oral care and hygiene.

Three common treatments using dental implants are single or multiple implants and teeth-in-a-day implants. You should discuss your individual treatment plan with a dentist that offers a consultation.

Single Implant

Replacing a missing tooth isn’t always a cosmetic choice. Dental implants are often used to prevent other teeth from shifting or prevent erosion in the jawbone.

Multiple Implants

When two or more implant screws are placed in the bone and connected by side-by-side crowns, it creates a dental bridge. These can be used to replace several teeth at once.

Teeth-in-a-Day

Patients with severely diseased or decayed teeth can have functional implants affixed in just one day at Townsend Family Dental & Implant Centre. An implant-supported denture is designed to replace a full row of teeth. This option appeals to those who aren’t comfortable with dentures.

The Dental Implant Procedure

The dental implant procedure is completed over several months. The time it takes for your dental implant procedure will vary, depending on your treatment plan and healing timeline.

Initial consultation

Your dentist examines your teeth and gums at your initial consultation to check for signs of decay or gum disease. If you have active gum disease, you’ll need periodontal therapy to treat the infection before receiving implants.

Your dentist also performs a digital diagnostic assessment of your teeth and jaw to evaluate the bone density. Your dentist may recommend a bone graft to stimulate tissue growth if you have insufficient bone density. You should have enough jawbone to support the implant post six to nine months after the grafting procedure.

If your dentist determines dental implants are the right tooth replacement option for your smile, they develop a treatment plan and schedule your surgery.

Implant

A dental implant procedure is performed under local anaesthetic in the dentist’s chair. After numbing the area with a gel and injecting the anaesthetic, your dentist incises the gum tissue to expose the bone underneath. They then drill a small hole and screw the implant post in place. The dentist then sutures the wound closed.

Osseointegration

Once the implant is placed, it may take between two and six months for the gums and surrounding areas to heal. During this time, the abutment may be placed during a second surgery, adding more length to the recovery period.

During the healing time, a process called osseointegration begins. During osseointegration, the natural bone in the jaw heals and closes, or knits, around the implant. This holds the implant in place securely and allows almost normal function.

Abutment

In a separate surgery, your dentist opens the implant site, attaches a ball-like abutment, and then closes the gum tissue around but not over the site. Once this has healed you can be fitted for your restoration.

Dental restoration

Once your jawbone and the gum tissue have fused with the implant and abutment, your dentist can fit you for a dental crown. They will take digital scans of the implant site and send the data to an off-site lab to have the crown fabricated. Then when it is ready, they cement it onto the implant.

Are Dental Implants Right for Me?

To discover whether a dental implant procedure is best, schedule a dental consultation near you at Townsend Family Dental & Implant Centre. The friendly and caring staff can help you decide what type of dental implants and treatments meet your smile goals.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.