IMPLANT DENTISTRY

Dr. Owen of Tidewater Family Dentistry located in Newport News, VA is pleased to provide dental implants as a permanent, effective solution for missing teeth. Implants are a strong, durable and long lasting treatment option for patients missing a tooth or teeth. Dental implants serve as the root of your missing tooth and are implanted into the bone below the gum’s surface. Implants provide a strong foundation for a crown restoration which will look and act like your natural tooth.

The Benefits of Dental Implants

Patients with missing teeth often suffer from bone loss and the uncomfortable hassle of removable dentures that can move and slide when eating and speaking. Dental implants are a modern alternative to tooth replacement and offer many benefits including:

• Enhanced appearance – implants are designed to look and act like your natural teeth. No one will know if you have a dental implant as they are designed to blend in with the shape and color with your natural teeth.
• Improved speech – it is certain that missing teeth can alter your normal speech sounds. Removable dentures can also move and slip around in your mouth causing your speech to be mumbled. Dental implants are fixed and do not slip or move and provide the stability needed to produce speech sounds correctly.
• Improved eating and chewing – if you are a patient that currently has dentures, you may experience movement of removable dentures as you eat and chew your food. Dental implants provide a solid and fixed component on which to chew your food. You can enjoy eating again with dental implants.
• Enhanced comfort – missing teeth can cause a myriad of oral health problems including discomfort when chewing food. Teeth may tend to migrate towards the space left by the missing tooth causing teeth to become crooked or twisted. Dentures can also cause discomfort when they move around as you speak and eat. Dental implants will enhance your comfort when eating because they become part of you and look and function like normal teeth.
• Improved oral health – Dental implants are made to last a lifetime and therefore designed to withstand the forces of biting and chewing for the rest of your life. Dental implants are the only solution for missing teeth that actually stops bone loss improving your oral health for the long term.

Dental Implant Procedure

Tidewater Family Dentistry will perform a complete evaluation to determine what type of implant you will need and if your jawbone is in an acceptable condition to receive the implant. The dental implant procedure is a process that usually takes several months to complete. The actual dental implant body is made of a strong metal called titanium and is placed into the jawbone to act like the root of your tooth. Tidewater Family Dentistry will coordinate your care with a periodontist or oral surgeon who will surgically place the implant.

The next step in the process is a healing phase which is very important to the long term success of dental implant treatment. During this time of healing, bone will grow or “osseointegrate” around the implant. It is normal for implants to take 3-6 months of osseointegration to create a strong enough structure to support a tooth and the forces of biting and chewing.

After successful oseeointegration, the implant restoration can be placed. Your dentist will take an impression of the area. This impression will be used to fabricate a high quality porcelain restoration to match the size and color of the surrounding teeth.

The final appointment will entail delivery of the implant restoration. Once a quality fit has been ensured, the restoration will be cemented or screwed into place. Your dentist may make a few final adjustments to ensure precise fit and optimal comfort.

If you have missing teeth and are considering dental implants as a permanent solution, call your Newport News, VA implant dentist today at (757) 874-6712.