About Dental Implants
Experts in Dental Implants
Drs. Verrett and O’Dell have over 30 years of combined experience in the practice of dental implant placement.
One of their highest priorities is that you fully understand your course of treatment and that you are aware of all alternatives available to you. They will take the time to answer any questions you may have.
Replacing a Missing Tooth
A natural tooth is anchored to the jawbone by its tooth root. Tooth roots attach firmly to the jawbone by a ligament and keep your teeth stable when chewing solid foods.
Traditionally, if you were missing a tooth or if one needed to be extracted, the healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth would be reshaped and the missing tooth replaced with a three-crown “bridge”. A removable bridge might also have been used, but would often put undue forces on your remaining teeth.
Dental implants are the modern alternative. Instead of reshaping two perfectly healthy teeth, the practitioner inserts a dental post (dental implant) into the jawbone to replace your missing tooth root. This post becomes solidly fixed into your jaw, just as a tooth root would be. Your general dentist then places a crown onto this artificial tooth root that looks, feels, and functions like your natural teeth.
Quite simply, dental implants are the most natural and solid replacement for missing teeth.
Replacing Several Missing Teeth
Traditionally, several missing teeth would have been replaced with a removable partial or full denture.
Dentures have to be taken out and soaked at night. During the day, they can also look unnatural and rub painfully. Dentures and partials make it difficult or impossible to eat certain foods.
Dental implants can now be used to anchor partial and full dentures. This prevents the slipping, irritation, and pain associated with “floating” partials and dentures. It also prevents the tedious removal of dentures for overnight soaking and cleaning. Dental implants also eliminate the need for dental adhesives. This allows you to enjoy eating the foods you previously avoided. With dental implants, your partials or dentures are firmly anchored to the jawbone, causing them to feel much more like natural teeth.
Natural tooth roots and dental implant posts are fixed firmly in your jawbone. When you chew, these tooth roots and posts stimulate the jawbone and prevent it from shrinking. You may have seen a person who looked prematurely old because their jawbone had shrunk after wearing floating dentures. Dental implants help preserve your jawbone and appearance.
The Success Rate of Dental Implants
After their healing period, the success rate of dental implants is between 94% and 98%. If you are a non-smoker with good oral hygiene, the percentage is closer to 98%.
Bone Regeneration
A critical question in determining whether an implant can be placed is, “Is there enough bone to support the implant?” Fortunately, advanced bone regeneration techniques now make it possible to place many more implants than just 10 years ago.
Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Dental implant treatment begins with an evaluation by your general dentist who will determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. If dental implants might be possible, he or she will send you to a periodontist for a placement evaluation.
For More Information
The following sites will provide you with more information on dental implants:
Nobel Smile: Information on Crowns, Veneers, Implants, and Dentures
The American Dental Association:
Dental Implants: A treatment option for replacing lost teethAmerican Academy of Periodontology Article:
Dental Implants: Teeth That Look and Feel Like Your Own