A tooth implant is an ideal solution to replacing one or more teeth. The actual implant is surgically placed directly into the jaw bone by a Boston implant dentist. Over a period of a few months the titanium implant becomes one with the bone, the result is a new “tooth root.” To complete the job a crown is fitted on the top of the implant.
A typical tooth implant procedure works extremely well but, the patient must have enough healthy jaw bone. If there is insufficient bone this can easily be rectified, the dentist can graft bone although it will increase the time for completion of the procedure.
How does a tooth implant work?
There are three parts to a full implant:
* The implant itself which is a small titanium screw which the Boston implant dentist places into the upper or lover jaw bone
* The abutment which fits on the implant, the abutment can be made from gold, porcelain or titanium and acts as the connector between the crown and the implant
* The crown looks like the original tooth, the crown is cemented to the abutment
The process:
The entire process is time consuming; the actual amount of time depends on a number of patient specific factors. The average time is about six months although it may be a little less if the implant is in the lower jaw. If bone augmentation is needed this time frame can go out to a year or more.
Two different procedures are usually undertaken. The first procedure of course is fitting the implant, to do this the Boston implant dentist makes a small incision in the gum and a hole is drilled into the jaw bone. The implant is screwed into the hole, the incision is them stitched closed.
Once the implant has taken another incision is made at which time the abutment is set and the crown is attached.
The process has had improvements since it was first introduced, today your dentist can place the implant, abutment and crown in one visit.
