The Ultimate Guide to Dental Implants: What You Need to Know

Dental implants replace missing teeth, restore dental health, and let you smile without embarrassment. They’re also great for the health of your teeth and gums.

Our team at Fremaux Dental Care specializes in implants and has the experience you can depend on for beautiful, long-lasting restorations.

Call us if you have questions or concerns about your dental health or need to schedule an appointment. Meanwhile, here’s everything you need to know about implants.

About dental implants

A dental implant has three parts:

Titanium rod

The implant is a threaded rod resembling a screw. This piece goes into your jaw, serving as a new tooth root that anchors your dental restoration.

Abutment

The abutment is a small piece that screws onto the implant, rising slightly above your gums to hold the new tooth.

Dental restoration

The restoration is the visible tooth replacement cemented to the abutment.

Dental problems solved with implants

Dental implants securely anchor the following restorations, allowing you to use them no matter how many teeth you need to replace:

Dental crowns

A dental crown replaces one missing tooth. If you have several missing teeth, we can replace each one with an implant and crown.

Dental bridges

Dental bridges replace two or three missing teeth next to one another. Using implants eliminates the need to reshape healthy teeth to hold the crown.

Dentures

Dental implants can support partial and full dentures. We can cement the dentures to the implant so they remain in your mouth like permanent teeth. Or, you can get dentures that snap on and off the implants.

No matter which type you choose, you won’t have to worry about dentures slipping or loosening when they’re attached to implants.

Benefits of dental implants

You already know implants restore your beautiful smile and function like your natural teeth. They also maintain a strong jawbone.

The jawbone regularly eliminates old, damaged bone and replaces it with new bone cells (remodeling). However, pressure from your teeth and their roots triggers remodeling. When you lose a tooth, the jawbone stops remodeling, and this leads to weak bones. 

Dental implants function like the tooth root, stimulating new bone regeneration and keeping your jaw strong and healthy.

What to expect when getting dental implants

Getting dental implants takes extra time and requires minor surgery. Here’s what to expect:

1. Implant preparation

We begin by performing a dental exam, taking digital X-rays, and determining if implants are the best solution for your dental needs. Then, we prepare your mouth and jaw by doing one or more of the following (as needed):

• Removing the damaged teeth being replaced with implants
• Treating gum disease (essential before implant surgery)
• Repairing dental problems like cavities
• Taking an impression of your teeth
• Ensuring your bone is strong enough to support the implants

If your bone isn’t dense or strong enough, we can give you a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth. We can’t insert the implant until the bone heals, which typically takes a few months.

2. Implant insertion

We make a small incision in the gum, drill a tiny starter hole in the jawbone, and insert the implant. If you need more than one implant, we repeat the process. A crown requires one implant, bridges need two, and dentures need four or more.

3. Time for tissues to heal

New bone grows around and bonds with the implant. As they fuse, the implant becomes an anchor as durable as the original tooth root and strong enough to support your new dental prosthetic.

Though everyone heals at a different rate, new bone takes about two to six months to bond with the implant.

We may attach the abutment and immediately give you a temporary crown, bridge, or dentures. Or, we may need to wait for healing before attaching the abutment. Either way, we don’t attach the permanent restorations until the bone and gum heal. 

4. Attach permanent restorations

Your new restoration is customized to fit your mouth. The dental lab typically finishes producing the restoration in a few weeks. When the bone heals, you return to the office so we can install your permanent restorations. 

Enjoy long-lasting implants

The implanted rod may last your lifetime. You may need to replace the restoration if it loosens or develops a chip or crack. With daily brushing and flossing, crowns and bridges can last 15 years or longer.

Though implant failure is uncommon, problems can occur. The implant could loosen if you have a gum infection or develop osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones). Smoking and grinding your teeth also increase the risk of implant problems.

Learn if implants are right for you

Call Fremaux Dental Care today or use online booking to request an appointment to learn more about implants and how they can transform your dental health.