Dental Implants

in Aurora and Denver, Colorado

If you have any missing teeth, you may know that they can be replaced with dentures or a bridge. You may already have one of those in place. But you might want to consider a dental implant instead for aesthetic reasons. If a tooth is missing, its root is missing also. So there are two gaps, one visible and one invisible. Bridges and dentures can fill the visible gap but not the invisible root gap. The beauty of having a dental implant is that it can fill the root gap in the jawbone and also the tooth gap by anchoring a replacement tooth. This allows you avoid the negative consequences of leaving that gap in the jawbone.

Implants and the Jawbone

That gap will be filled, but not in a positive way. Just as the neighboring teeth will move from their correct positions to fill the tooth gap; so the jawbone will shrink inwards to fill the root gap. This is known as bone resorption. It will change the appearance of your jawline and facial profile, giving you an older look which, of course, no one wants.

Most cosmetic dentists offer implant dentistry. Most also give patient education a high priority, and are very willing to explain how things work, and to answer your questions.

Three Types of Dental Implants

The three types are devised to meet the needs of varying jawbone conditions:

• Root form implants – small titanium cylinders
• Plate form implants – narrow shapes designed for a more narrow jawbone
• Subperiosteal implants – customized shapes placed on the bone rather than inside it. This is for people whose jawbone has insufficient width, height, and density to hold an implant.

The one most often used is the root form implant, as it has demonstrated the best results over the last decade or so.

The Procedure

There are three steps to establish both the dental implant, and the tooth it will hold.

1. The implant is placed in the jawbone. Several months are allowed to pass before the next step, to allow the bone tissue to grow closely around the implant, and incorporate it. This will make the implant very sturdy as your new tooth root.
2. In a small dental surgery, a small piece is added to the top of the implant, called an abutment. It is partly below the gum tissue and partly above it. It will hold the new tooth. Recovery from this step is only a couple of weeks, while the gums heal around the abutment.
3. The replacement tooth is attached to the abutment. It is a porcelain tooth that will match your other teeth in its shade of white, and will have the same pleasing shine to it.

To learn more about dental implants and whether or not this solution may be right for you, please contact the office of Aspenwood Dental Associates today to schedule your initial appointment.