Dental Implants Serving Cincinnati, OH

Whether you are missing a single tooth or an entire row of teeth, dental implants may be the perfect solution to help you restore a full, attractive smile. Implants help recreate the natural appearance and function of real teeth, and provide a solid foundation for optimal dental health with results that last a lifetime.

What Is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth designed to look exactly like a natural tooth. Unlike dentures, implants are securely anchored in your mouth by a strong titanium post, which acts as the “root” of an artificial tooth.

How Does the Implant Work?

The implant itself is a man-made artificial root that is placed deep into your gum tissue to replace the natural weakened tooth root. Over the span of a few months, it fuses permanently with your jawbone to replace missing tooth roots. This stimulation also supports the jaw bone and protects the structure of your face.

An abutment is attached to the titanium screw to connect the screw and your custom-made crown. The crown is the portion seen and felt as your tooth, so each crown is customized to mimic the appearance and function of a real tooth.

Benefits

Dental implants offer benefits that no other tooth replacement solution can, including durability that lasts a lifetime, completely natural feel and function, improved confidence and enhanced quality of life.
Dental implants can also be used as the foundation for implant-supported dentures or All-on-Four implants.

Dental Implant Timeline

The process of receiving dental implants typically requires several months. There are a number of stages, including periods of healing. Once the titanium screws are implanted in the jaw, the new artificial roots need time to fuse with the bone. Later, a customized artificial tooth will be affixed to the top of the post. Sometimes additional procedures such as bone grafting are required, extending the timeline.
The process of dental implants begins with removal of the natural tooth. Often we are able to place the implant in this site on the same day. If possible, this can reduce the time of healing by half, usually 4-6 months. If the area has infection or has been depleted by bone loss, a graft may be required to strengthen the area. The first stage of the implant usually only takes a day or two. The following appointments for the implant are usually much less invasive and are tolerated very well. Approximately 75 percent of our implants are placed with just local anesthetic, but we also offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oral sedation to aid in patient comfort.

Implant Results & How to Take Care of Them

Once your implants are in place, you essentially have a new set of permanent teeth. You brush and floss them just like your natural teeth; you eat the foods you want; you speak and smile with confidence.

Unlike dentures, you won’t have to worry about the embarrassment of slippage. And unlike dentures, your jaw benefits from the stimulation of the titanium posts, which preserve the integrity of the jaw bone with the same type of stimulation natural roots provide. This is an extremely important benefit, for without this natural stimulation your bone will atrophy, changing the look of your jaw and your entire facial profile.

To learn more about dental implants, schedule an appointment with experienced southwestern Ohio dentist Dr. Troy Pearce by contacting our Cincinnati office today.