Find out how this amazing restoration can help you get a full smile back.

You never thought you would lose a tooth as an adult, but it happened. Now what? Don’t worry; you have treatment options when you turn to our Easton, MD, family dentists, Dr. Irving Phillips Jr. and Dr. Wade Dressler. If you are interested in finding out more about dental implants and how these long-term restorations work to replace missing teeth, you’ve come to the right place.

What is a dental implant exactly?

Perhaps you’ve heard about dental implants but you aren’t sure what they really are or how they work aside from replacing one or more missing teeth. Well, simply put, a dental implant is a metal post or screw that is created to replace your missing tooth’s roots. The roots are an important component of your oral health, even if they aren’t visible. The implant will replace your missing tooth roots and function just like one, stimulating the jawbone and preventing bone loss.

How does a dental implant work?

Since the implant naturally stimulates the jawbone to protect it from bone loss (a common complication of untreated tooth loss) it will need to be placed within the jawbone by one of our Easton restorative dentists. Don’t worry; the procedure is minor and can be performed right here in our office under local anesthesia. You won’t feel a thing and you’ll be able to go home right after your procedure.

During your first procedure, we will go inside the gums to uncover the jawbone. A small hole is drilled into the exact spot within the jawbone that we need to place the implant. Next, the implant is positioned within the jawbone and the gums are stitched up.

Over the course of several months, the bone and tissue will heal. As they do, they will grow around the implant and fuse together with it. Once this happens the implant is now a long-term and permanent part of the jawbone. This is what makes the success rate for dental implants extremely high.

Now that the implant and jawbone are one, the next step is to place a structure known as an abutment. Some implants come with an abutment already built-in and other implants require us to place it during a separate procedure. If your implant doesn’t have a built-in abutment we will need to perform another minor procedure to open up the gums and attach the abutment over the metal implant.

After several more weeks of healing the custom dental crown can then be cemented into place over the abutment to complete your restorative dental treatment and to give you your beautiful smile back.

Dental Choice in Easton, MD, is dedicated to giving you back that beautiful smile. Don’t let tooth loss affect your appearance and your oral health when you have options. Call us today and let us know that you are interested in getting dental implants.