What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth attached to a post that the surgeon surgically implants.  It is revolutionizing the way people are living with fractured or missing teeth, providing numerous benefits over antiquated reconstructive dentistry procedures, such as dentures.

• An aesthetically pleasing smile that will boost your self-confidence
• Dental implants look and feel natural
• Other teeth are prevented from shifting and your bite will remain aligned
• They are durable and long-lasting, able to withstand numerous stresses and allowing you to eat and chew with ease.

Dental Implant Candidates
Advances in cosmetic and oral surgery have created numerous options for people to address tooth loss and decay.  Dr. Berrios & Dr. Rammo only perform the dental implant surgery after the patient is referred from their dentist.
Those who qualify for dental implants must:

• Be in good oral health with strong, healthy gums
• Have an adequate amount of jawbone to support the implant. If a patient’s jawbone is weak, then reconstructive jaw surgery is required.
• Not be a child, as children are still experiencing jaw growth

Dental implants are also an ideal solution to those who are dissatisfied with bridges or dentures, which feel uncomfortable, look artificial, and impair one’s ability to eat and speak clearly.

The Team Approach

The team approach for the management of the implant patient emphasized that the restoration drives the implant placement and any adjunctive grafting procedures. Crucial in the team approach to treatment planning is the evaluation of bone to get the best aesthetic and anchorage results for endosseous implants.  In the past, these two issues could be mutually exclusive, causing compromise in one or both areas.
In the team approach, the restorative dentist discusses what the prosthetic goals and the surgeon describes what can be accomplished surgically.  This sharing or cross pollination of ideas and options gives shape to the final treatment plan.  But, this approach is not linear, where discussion only passes back and forth between doctors. It is a triangle where the patient’s desires and expectations are at the apex.

The Dental Implant Procedure
For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures.  First, implants are placed within your jawbone.  For the first three to six months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums gradually bonding with the jawbone.  You should be able to wear temporary dentures and eat a soft diet during this time.
After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins.  We will uncover the implants and attached small posts, which will act as anchors for the artificial teeth.  These posts protrude through the gums.  When the artificial teeth are placed, these posts will not be seen.  The entire procedure usually takes six to eight months.

Implants and Dentures

              
Three implants per side with healing caps                      Abutments and crowns in place.

Three implants replace two lower molars.

            
Mandiular (lower) snap on retained over-denture

              
Maxillary (upper) snap on retained over-denture

Contact Dr. Berrios and Dr. Rammo today!