About Dental Implants

Dental implants are a popular and effective way to replace missing teeth and are designed to blend in with your other teeth. They are an excellent long-term option for restoring your smile. In fact, the development and use of implants is one of the biggest advances in dentistry in the past 40 years. Dental implants are made up of titanium and other materials that are compatible with the human body. They are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a sturdy anchor for replacement teeth. MouthHealth.org

IMPLANT DENTISTRY

Dr. Knox completed her training with the Misch International Implant Institute in October 2014. She expects to continue to refer difficult cases to the oral surgeon.

Not all patients are good candidates for dental implants and Dr. Knox will not place an implant if she isn’t confident that it will be successful.

Placement of a crown on an implant is very similar to placement of a crown on a tooth. It generally requires two appointments. At the first appointment impressions are made and sent to a dental lab (we use one in New York and one in Florida). A few weeks later, the crown and abutment arrive from the lab and are inserted into the patient’s mouth. The abutment is fastened to the implant and the crown is cemented on the abutment.

Implants are also used to support dentures. This can be done when the dentures are first fabricated or at a later date. Special posts are inserted into the implants and special gaskets are inserted into depressions in the denture. The denture ‘snaps’ onto the posts. Generally, four to six implants are required for each denture although it isn’t unusual to see patients with just two implants per denture. Additional implants can be inserted at a later date.

For more information, please visit the Implants page at MouthHealthy.org or the Implant Videos page at the ICOI DentalImplants.com.