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Dental Implants

In Edmonton, Alberta

When asked what makes a smile unattractive, people's number one response is "missing teeth."  Your missing teeth are on display whenever you talk or smile, making you uncomfortable, and, worse, your missing teeth can cause serious health problems.  Missing teeth create gaps that can be hard to clean, leading to gum disease, which can threaten adjacent teeth.  The space created by a missing tooth can cause other teeth to drift and grow crooked.  A missing tooth can also contribute to jaw bone decay and gum collapse.

To remedy all these consequences of missing teeth, Edmonton cosmetic dentist Dr. Pavlenko recommends dental implants.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts that are integrated into your jawbone to act as an artificial tooth root.  Once in place, the implants are topped with a highly cosmetic dental crown to create a replacement tooth that looks and functions as good as or better than your natural teeth. 

The dental implant process

The first step in the dental implant process is to assess whether you are a good candidate.  Dr. Pavlenko will discuss your general and oral health history.  If you have advanced gum disease, some blood disorders, certain bone diseases, or too little material in your jawbone, you may not be a good candidate for dental implants.  Your jawbone will be assessed using a number of methods, including the three-dimensional scanning tool, i-CAT, which gives detailed images and allows for precise planning of your dental implant procedure.

During your oral surgery appointment, the implant will be placed in the jawbone, and, in most cases, fitted with a temporary crown.  Then the implant is allowed to rest while your jawbone regrows around it, a process called osseointegration.  During this period of about 3-6 months, the implant becomes an integral part of your body, and is fully fixed in your jawbone.

Once osseointegration is complete, the implant is finished with a highly cosmetic dental crown, giving it the look and function of a natural tooth. 

Dental implants for multiple teeth

If you are missing more than one tooth, you may receive dental bridges that are bonded to dental implants.  This means that you do not need an implant for every single tooth, but will still have fully functional and natural-looking replacements.  These bridges are crafted without any wires, so they have an appearance nearly indistinguishable from a row of individual teeth. 

The lifetime of dental implants

Dental implants are expected to be lifetime restorations.  With proper care and barring conditions that may damage your jawbone, dental implants will remain in place for the rest of your life.  The crown atop the implant may need to be replaced after 10-15 years, but at that time a new crown can simply be fashioned and placed atop the same implant.

If  you would like to learn more about this advanced dentistry procedure for replacing missing teeth, schedule a dental implant consultation at Sana Cosmetic Dental in Edmonton, Alberta, today.