Dental Implants
Durable and long-lasting, dental implants are a highly regarded solution when it comes to . They consist of a titanium post surgically placed into the jawbone by our Greater Kalamazoo dental implant dentists, thus serving as a sturdy foundation for a custom-made crown, bridge, or denture. Unlike traditional false teeth, implants fuse with the bone, offering a natural feel and appearance while preserving jawbone health.
Learn more about the dental implant procedure and the benefits that can come from it below.
The Composition of a Dental Implant
A dental implant is composed of three primary components: the lightweight, yet impressively strong titanium alloy post, the abutment, and the dental crown, bridge, or denture placed on top. The titanium post serves as the foundation, implanted into the jawbone where it provides stimulation much like a natural tooth root would. Titanium’s biocompatibility allows it to fuse with the bone in a process called osseointegration, ensuring a long-lasting anchor for the prosthetic.
The abutment is a small connector piece placed on top of the implant. This part serves as the intermediary between the implant and the visible restoration, which could vary depending on the patient’s exact needs. Abutments allow for easy removal of the restoration, which makes cleaning or replacing the prosthetic straightforward if needed.
Finally, the visible portion of the implant—the dental crown, bridge, or denture—is custom-made to match the patient’s natural teeth in appearance and function, providing a seamless and comfortable restoration for missing teeth.
How Sharp Smile Center Is Different
At Sharp Smile Center, our dentists are highly trained and continually educated to ensure all steps of the implant process are handled in-house, without the need for outside referrals. This comprehensive approach allows for seamless care, where every aspect of the procedure, from implant placement to restoration, happens right in our Portage, MI, dental office. Our impressive 98% success rate speaks to the level of expertise and care our patients receive.
We offer a variety of implant options, including single-tooth replacements and our All-on-4® procedure (known as Sharp Smile Today), which makes both implant-supported bridges and dentures possible. One of the standout features of our practice is our use of the , a computer-guided tool that ensures the most precise implant placement. This advanced technology functions like GPS for dental implants, guiding our dentists with turn-by-turn accuracy down to tenths of millimeters.
For full-arch restorations, we also use 3D printing to create temporary dentures, ensuring that our patients leave the office with functional and aesthetically pleasing teeth right away.
General Timeline for Dental Implants
Aside from an initial consultation with one of our dentists, the overarching process of getting dental implants begins with the surgical placement of the titanium post into the jawbone. Over the next few months, the bone naturally integrates with the implant, providing a sturdy base. While this healing process occurs, patients are fitted with a temporary restoration to maintain dental function. Once osseointegration is complete, digital impressions are used to create a custom crown, bridge, or denture.
Final placement of the restoration occurs only once healing is complete. For patients who may be anxious about the surgical process, we offer multiple dental sedation options, including laughing gas, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation, ensuring a comfortable and stress-free experience.
Dental Implant Cases
Danielle
Danielle is a young person with beautiful natural teeth. Unfortunately, two of her back teeth did not form during her development. This left her with unsightly gaps between several teeth as they shifted into the spaces where these teeth should have been. After completing orthodontic treatment to improve her smile and close the gaps, she required replacement of the missing teeth. Rather than cut down the adjacent teeth to place a bridge to fill the missing spaces, dental implant posts were placed and new teeth attached to them. Kalamazoo dental implants offer server advantages over bridges. Healthy, natural teeth remain unaffected. Because no teeth are connected together, the jaw can flex normally and you can floss and clean between them with ease. And the placements of the implant posts act just like natural roots in the bone, preventing the inevitable reabsorption of the bone in height and width that results when teeth are lost or missing.
Marcos
“My implant looks like my natural tooth.” – Marcos with a single implant of front tooth
Case Three
Before / After Upper and Lower Arches
Sandy
Elizabeth
Restore What’s Missing in Your Smile
Dental implants offer a permanent solution to restore missing teeth, delivering both enhanced function and aesthetic appeal. With our advanced technology and expert care, our , work hard to make sure that each patient achieves the best possible outcome. Call Sharp Smile Center today at (269) 344-4004 to request an appointment.