Dental Implants
Dental implants are becoming an increasingly popular method for replacing missing teeth. In this procedure, titanium root forms are placed to act as an anchor for natural looking crowns or dentures. Dental implants are not only used for individual tooth replacement, but can also be used when replacing multiple teeth as an alternative to dentures or for stabilizing dentures.
Advantages of dental implants
- Implants are extremely functional and natural looking
- Once the implants are stable, they can last a lifetime
Disadvantages of dental implants
- Implants are expensive and a signifigant financial investment
- The process of getting implants can be time consuming and requires multiple visits to the dentist
- There is always a chance, though rare, that surgery can fail, but this usually occurs within the first 6 months.
Types of implants
Your dentist will be able to tell you which of the two types of implants is right for you:
- Traditional Implant: This is the most common type of implant and is shaped like the root of a tooth.
- Mini Implant: This is the newest type of implant and is also root shaped. It is not suitable for all areas in the mouth, but is very useful in places where traditional implants may be too big.