If you're considering dental implants to restore the look and function of your smile, you may be wondering exactly what dental implants consist of. Here, our Surrey and Langley dentist explains what the parts of a dental implant are.
The Implant
The actual implant portion of dental implants is a tiny titanium screw that is placed in the jaw where the root of the missing tooth would have been.
Titanium is used because it is biocompatible with the surrounding tissue, meaning it is not harmful to the surrounding tissue and will, with time, become integrated with the bone.
The implant forms a stable base to which an artificial tooth can be attached.
The Abutment
Once the implant has had time to heal and the bone has become integrated with the titanium screw the next stage of the dental implant procedure can begin.
It is at this point when a titanium or ceramic abutment can be attached to the dental implant. The abutment is a small connector that will secure the artificial tooth to the dental implant.
The Restoration
A crown, bridge or denture will be fitted once the implant surgery has healed and the dental implant and the abutment are firmly in place.
Crown
If a single tooth is being replaced you will be fitted with a dental crown, which is an imitation tooth that has been created to blend in with your surrounding teeth.
Dental crowns are typically ceramic or a mixture of metal and porcelain. The crown will be is screwed or cemented onto the abutment to create a natural looking tooth replacement.
Bridge
If you are replacing two or more teeth in a row a bridge may be used. A dental bridge allows you to replace several teeth with just two implants to hold the bridge in place.
As with crowns, a dental bridge is typically made of porcelain and is created to blend in with your natural teeth.
Denture
When all of the teeth in the jaw are being replaced, an implant supported denture can be used.
Implant supported dentures are dentures which are secured in place with dental implants, unlike conventional dentures which rest on the gums and are held in place by natural suction.
Implant supported dentures are a full set of plastic or porcelain teeth attached to a gum-coloured acrylic base for a natural look.