Dental implants from our Summerland dentist are a natural looking way to replace missing teeth and improve the function of your smile. Here's more about the parts of a typical dental implant.
Dental implants can help to restore the function of your smile, and boost your self-confidence, but what exactly is a dental implant?
Dental implants consist of three main parts:
The Implant
The actual implant portion of the dental implant is a tiny titanium screw that is surgically placed in the jaw. The screw forms a stable base or 'root' to which an artificial tooth can be attached. Over time the dental implant will become integrated with your jaw bone forming a permanent base to your restoration.
The Abutment
Following the implant placement, once your jaw has healed, an abutment can be attached to the implant. The abutment is a small titanium or ceramic connector which will secure the dental implant to the restoration.
The Restoration
After allowing your mouth to heal, following the addition of the abutment, a restoration can be attached to the abutment. Depending on the number of teeth being replaced, your restoration could be a crown, bridge or denture.
Crown
If a single tooth is being replaced a dental crown will be used. Crowns are typically ceramic, or a mixture of metal and porcelain, and will be screwed or cemented to the abutment to create a natural looking artificial tooth.Bridge
To replace a number of teeth in a row, a dental bridge may be used. The artificial teeth in a dental bridge will be colour matched to your natural teeth to give your smile a natural appearance. Bridges are usually made from porcelain and are held securely in place by two implants.
Denture
When a patient is replacing a full jaw of teeth, an implant supported denture can be used. Implant supported dentures are typically made with either plastic or porcelain teeth attached to an acrylic base which is coloured to look like the natural gum line. These dentures are held securely in place by dental implants.