What are dental implants?

Dental implants are root-like structures made of titanium, a material which our body easily accepts. They come in all shapes and sizes. They can be used to replace as few as one tooth. or all the teeth in the mouth. Other applications include replacing missing eyes, ears, noses. and fingers.

How do dental implants work?

Implants are artificial roots which are inserted into the bone to replace the natural roots you have lost. A strong bond is formed between the implants and the bone over several weeks or months. The implants provide a stable foundation for crowns, bridges or dentures which are placed over them. An abutment is the interface that connects the new tooth to the implant.

Due to the extreme stability of the implants, the new teeth are very firm and make eating and chewing feel as natural and comfortable as your original teeth. They can also be made to look very real too. Implants also slow down bone loss.

Diagram (left) showing the similarities between an implant-supported crown and a natural tooth.	Such a crown (above) does not require the adjacent teeth to be ground down unlike conventional fixed bridges.

What are the advantages of dental implant therapy?

• It is an advanced treatment that most closely mimics natural teeth in look, feel and function such as speech and chewing.
• Implant-supported teeth will not move during function unlike non-implant-supported dentures.
• It minimizes bone loss.
• It minimizes changes to adjacent healthy teeth.
• It preserves facial contours and appearance.