Dental Implants—What are they and am I a candidate?

A dental implant is one option to replace one, several or all of your missing teeth.  Dr. Barroner works together with your other dental providers to help replace your missing teeth with dental implants so you can have a beautiful smile and continue to enjoy the food you love! 

​A “dental implant” has several components:
*the implant itself is medical grade titanium alloy that looks like a screw and takes the place of where your tooth root was.            
*the abutment is a part that screws into the implant which is what the crown or cap will be cemented or screwed onto (a healing abutment or healing cap is placed before the final abutment can be placed to allow for soft tissue healing).
*the crown or “cap” fits on the abutment and is either screwed or cemented into place by your dentist, this is the part of the “dental implant” that you actually see above the gum tissue and looks like the white part of your tooth.
 
Dental Implants can be useful in several situations:          
*Replacing a single tooth
*Replacing several missing teeth with an implant supported bridge (uses two dental implants to support 2-4 teeth depending on the area) -Replacing all upper or lower teeth with multiple implants to support fixed (meaning the teeth stay in your mouth and can only be removed by your dental provider) or removable (dentures that snap onto implants to keep them in place) dental appliances

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​​​When can you have “teeth/caps” placed on the dental implants?
This can vary depending on many factors such as the initial stability of the dental implant, location of the dental implant, health of the patient and patient’s bite but you could potentially have a temporary crown or denture placed the same day as the procedure.  However, in many cases, the dental implant usually takes approximately 2-3 months to heal and fuse to your bone, after which point the implant will be ready to uncover (if it hasn’t been exposed already) and then restored with the crown/cap.

​If your dental implant can’t be restored right away your dentist can offer a temporary replacement that is usually removable.  Some options include a “flipper” or an Essix retainer.

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Am I a candidate for a dental implant?
Dr. Barroner is pleased to offer complimentary implant consultations to determine if you a good candidate for dental implants.  She will review your medical history and perform a clinical exam.  In addition, in many cases Dr. Barroner may recommend a three dimensional x-ray called a Cone Beam CT (CBCT)* to further evaluate the hard and soft tissue structures which can affect implant treatment planning.

​*Please be advised additional fees may apply for the CBCT imaging.
Written By: Dr. Meghan Barroner, D.M.D. 4/25/17