Dental Implants
Losing a tooth for whatever reason—be it gum disease, injury or simple tooth decay—can be not only embarrassing, but lead to problems with speaking, chewing and eating, and even further damage to your remaining teeth. However, as one of the leading specialists in dental implants, successfully performing well over 250 implant procedures annually, Dr. David M. Skopp, DDS can help you find a permanent solution to your missing tooth or teeth and make sure your smile achieves its full potential.
What is a dental implant?
Unlike removable dentures or a dental bridge, a dental implant seeks a more permanent solution to tooth loss by replacing the tooth’s root with a small piece of titanium that eventually becomes fused into the jaw bone as it heals. This then creates a stronger base on which the replacement tooth, crown or denture can be attached.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Compared to the other methods for replacing lost teeth, dental implants are far superior and come with many more benefits, including-
Look much more like natural teeth
Feel just like the real thing, as they’re fused directly into your jaw bone
Allow you to eat any and all foods easily and painlessly
Won’t slip and cause discomfort or speech problems like dentures can
Improved long-term oral health, as implants don’t require altering or removing any of the remaining teeth
Don’t require any special care or cleaning
Are made to last, possibly even for the rest of your life with proper care
Very little discomfort is involved and most patients report it hurts less than having a tooth pulled
Best of all, they are successful in more than 97% of cases
What is the procedure for a dental implant?
If Dr. Skopp determines you’re a good candidate for dental implants, he and his team will come up with a comprehensive, customized plan for your entire implant procedure. Still, it will typically involve multiple appointments over a period of several months or more, beginning with the initial root implant.
During this procedure, you will first have the area surrounding the implant numbed with a local anesthetic. Then Dr. Skopp will insert a small titanium rod into the hole in your jawbone where the missing tooth originally was. When this initial implant procedure is finished, you will then need to wait for it all to heal. While the bone heals, it will form around the rod, securing it in place, which may take anywhere from one to three months.
After the implant has fully healed, another piece of metal called an abutment will be attached to it during your next appointment, after which finally the replacement tooth can be put over it all. First though, the permanent crown must be made, which is why we’ll take an imprint of your teeth and send
it off to a dental laboratory. Since it may take a few weeks to get the finished crown back from the lab, Dr. Skopp will attach a temporary crown to protect the implants and remaining teeth in the meantime. Finally, when your crown or crowns are ready, our team will check to make sure they fit and then the doctor will cement them in place.
Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants, but to see what the best option is for replacing your missing tooth/teeth, give us a call to set up a consultation with Dr. Skopp. He is experienced in all aspects of cosmetic dentistry and can help come up with the right solution, customized just for you.