Whether you need to replace a single tooth or many teeth, dental implants can provide a permanent solution that will let you smile, laugh and enjoy your favorite foods with confidence. Dental implants are specially-made titanium screws placed in the jawbone to serve as a firm foundation for a new tooth or denture that looks and feels completely natural.
Today, the preferred method of tooth replacement is a dental implant. They replace missing tooth roots and form a stable foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. Dental implants also help preserve the remaining bone by providing the stimulation previously provided by the natural tooth roots.
The most common dental implants are called “root form implants.” They are similar to teeth in that they mimic the shape of the roots of teeth. They can be used to support individual teeth or to help anchor removable dentures. Using local anesthetic (freezing) and oral sedation, the implants are surgically placed under the gum and into the bone. The healing period for dental implants varies depending on the location and the health of the bone. It can be as little as 6 weeks or as much as four months. Some form of aesthetic temporization is always placed in visible areas. Once the implant is biologically attached to the bone, a post (abutment) is inserted inside the implant. The post becomes the extension to which a crown is attached.
Implants are made of a bio-compatible material called titanium, which cannot decay. One advantage of implants is that they stimulate bone growth, and thus, prevent future bone loss. Bone that disappears when a tooth is removed can only be replaced with a bone graft. It is why Dr. Martin Katzman has trained to do immediate placement of the implant fixture after a traumatic extraction of a unsalvageable tooth. As well, he has chosen to place the ANKYLOS system due to its precise cone connection and tissue care concept. The research has shown this system to replicate the natural biologic situation to a much greater degree than other systems.