What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a metallic root of a tooth. It is placed in the bone of your jaw by a dentist and allowed to heal in the bone for a period of time until the bone-implant union is strong enough to support a prosthetic tooth. The implant is made out of titanium, a metal that is very well tolerated by the human body.

How is it used to replace missing teeth?

When you are using a dental implant to replace missing teeth, your dentist will first determine if you have enough supporting bone to safely place a dental implant to support a prosthetic tooth. The implant is placed into the bone in a very specific surgical procedure to insure that the implant will not be rejected by your body. In order to place the implant in the bone, it is necessary to cut through the gum tissue. The gum tissue will usually be sewed up either over the implant or around the implant after it is placed into the bone. The implant will then be allowed to heal in the bone for several months until the union is strong enough to support the prosthetic tooth.

What kind of dentist do I need to see?

Prosthodontists and General Practitioners will usually be the one's who restore the "teeth". You should look for someone who is very experienced with dental implants and who has undergone a great deal of training throughout the years. It is also a good idea to utilize someone who works with dental implants quite a bit on a day to day basis.

How much do implants cost?

Fees vary tremendously and you have to know what you are paying for and what kind of warranties are available to you for the work that will be performed.
Make sure that your dentist sits down with you and discusses all of the fees you will incur. If you have two dentists who will be working with you (one placing your implants and one restoring them) make sure you know what both of their fees will be and make sure that you know who is responsible for what....

Are dental implants a permanent solution to tooth loss?

Yes dental implants are considered to be a permanent solution. Sometimes the dental implant does not integrate and it will be lost. In those cases, another implant might be placed that would stay there and become permanent.

Are there people who cannot have dental implants?

Most everyone can have dental implants placed, but there are some exceptions and some cautions... Patients who are uncontrolled diabetics or have severe psychological problems are not good canditates for dental implants.
Patients missing a large amount of bone, and a heavy smokers are not good candidates, some bone grafts can replace the missing bone and allow the patient to have dental implants.