Dental Implants
Improve Your Smile Quickly With Same-Day Dental Implants
Losing a tooth or two can put a damper on your smile, but the loss can also reduce your ability to bite and chew. Thankfully, dental implants can help.
Dental implants are a popular option for tooth replacements as they offer people many benefits to their appearance and oral health. At McDonogh Dental in Owings Mills, MD, our team specializes in restorative dental services, and we can provide you with new teeth in a day!
What Are Dental Implants?
There are three parts to a dental implant:
- Artificial Root: This is the screw-like post a dentist surgically inserts into the jawbone to act as a tooth root. It stimulates bone growth and provides a foundation for the replacement tooth.
- Abutment: The abutment is an attachment above the implant that supports the new crown.
- Dental Crown: The crown or cap is the tooth-like formation that sits above the gum line and is usually made from metal, porcelain, or ceramic.
Why Are Dental Implants Beneficial To Patients?
Below are some of the reasons to choose dental implants to restore your missing teeth:
- Prevent bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing
- A smile will look healthier and natural
- More comfortable than traditional dentures
- The speech will improve, especially when the implants replace missing teeth at the front of your mouth.
What Happens During the Dental Implant Procedure?
In most cases, multiple appointments are necessary to complete the dental implant procedure. The first procedure requires a dentist to implant the posts into the jawbone surgically. It takes two to six months for the metal beneath the gum line to bond to the bone, so a patient may use temporary dentures to protect the exposed area as it heals.
During the next appointment, the dentist will take impressions or a digital scan of your mouth to make the crown and attach the abutment. They will use the moldings or digital model to craft the replacement teeth that will adhere to the abutment.
Some patients may be able to have same-day implants. In these cases the bad tooth is extracted, an implant is placed, and a temporary crown is attached to the implant so you never have to go without a tooth. After two to four months of healing, you will have a custom permanent crown made for the implant.
Types of Dental Implants
Single Tooth
If you lost one tooth in the past, or have a tooth that needs to be extracted, one of our dentists can replace it with a single dental implant and a crown. The implant will look and function like a natural tooth, and, unlike a dental bridge, there is no need to affect the adjacent teeth.
Multiple Teeth
To recover the loss of more than one tooth, you may need multiple dental implants. If the loss is at the front of your mouth, the implants must be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The artificial teeth will restore your smile and enable you to bite into food successfully.
For most cases involving multiple teeth, the implants will support the ends of a bridge containing a permanently fastened tooth-like structure. Its design will mimic your remaining teeth and allow you to chew and smile with confidence.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Implant-supported dentures are devices for patients who are missing most or all of their teeth. Using implants, a denture can be made that will have much more stability than a traditional denture. During the procedure, a surgeon will place two to six implants into the patient’s jawbone and a dentist will use those implants to support the denture. These restorations are still removed by the patient each night.
Fixed Hybrid Prosthesis
For anyone missing all of their teeth, a fixed hybrid prosthesis might be a viable option to install a new set of natural-looking teeth, especially if they don’t want removable dentures. In these cases, four to six implants are placed and a special type of denture-like restoration is made that attaches to these implants. It stays in place and can only be removed by a dentist. It will restore the patient’s bite force and significantly improve their smile.
Improve Your Smile Today With McDonogh Dental!
If you can’t bear to live without a full set of stunning natural-looking teeth, don’t hesitate to reach out to McDonogh Dental! Our team of experienced doctors and dental professionals will gladly give you the dental implants you need to restore your bright smile and improve your oral health and quality of life. Schedule a consultation with us today to discuss your dental restoration options.
