Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is a small titanium post that Dr. Froum surgically places into your jaw to replace your natural tooth roots and hold a replacement tooth, bridge, or denture in place. This artificial tooth root fuses to your jawbone during the healing process and attaches to an artificial tooth or teeth.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants are a permanent solution to tooth loss. Some of the most important benefits of dental implants are:

Comfort

Conventional dentures sit directly on top of your gums, leading to irritation and mouth sores. Since dental implants connect to your replacement teeth and hold them in place, they feel as comfortable as your natural teeth.

Appearance

While conventional dentures can look bulky if they don’t fit your gums perfectly, dental implants hold your replacement teeth firmly in place, so they look as natural as possible.

Speech

Poor-fitting dentures can shift and loosen on your gums, causing slurred speech, mumbling, or even a lisp. Fortunately, dental implants allow you to speak clearly by holding your teeth in place.

Chewing

Much like speech, poor-fitting dentures make it difficult to chew without discomfort. With dental implants, you can eat as comfortably as you did with your natural teeth.

Convenience

Dental implants are fixed to your jawbone, so you never have to worry about taking your replacement teeth out for cleaning.

Durability

With proper care, dental implants can last for 25 years or more.

Are there different types of dental implants?

Dr. Froum offers several different types of dental implants at his office, including:

Single tooth dental implants

If you’re missing a single tooth, a dental implant and a crown can replace both the lost tooth and its root.

Same-day dental implants

Thanks to computer-guided X-ray technology, Dr. Froum offers same-day dental implants that allow you to walk out of the office with a new set of teeth in one visit.

Mini dental implants

Mini dental implants are smaller than conventional implants and can be placed in a single visit. Dr. Froum often recommends these implants for the front of the mouth.

Implant-supported bridges

An implant-supported bridge is a dental bridge that Dr. Froum attaches to dental implants to better secure your replacement teeth.

Am I a good candidate for dental implants?

You’re an ideal candidate for dental implants if you have the following:

• At least one missing tooth
  
• Good oral health habits
  
• Good overall health
  
• A willingness to follow aftercare instructions
  
• Adequate bone density

It’s crucial that you have enough healthy tooth-supporting bone in your jaw to hold your implants in place. If you don’t, Dr. Froum recommends a bone graft to help support the implants.

How are dental implants placed?

The dental implant process can take several months, from planning and placing them, to your recovery from the surgery. Once Dr. Froum designs your individualized treatment plan, you can come into the office for your implant surgery.

After administering anesthesia, Dr. Froum makes a small incision in the gums to insert the implant. The healing process after your initial implant surgery can take 6-12 weeks. When you return, Dr. Froum takes impressions of your teeth to create your new replacement teeth, which he connects to your dental implants at your final appointment.

To learn more, call Stuart J. Froum, DDS, or book a visit online today.