Dental Implants
Statesville, NC
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants consist of small titanium rods that are surgically placed into your jawbone. The implants rely on osseointegration, a process in which your jawbone fuses with the rods. Successful osseointegration leads to the implants becoming a stable support for your replacement teeth. Other key pieces of your dental implants are abutments (connectors) and your new crown, or crowns. All work together to provide you with a natural, beautiful, fully-functional smile.
Dental Implants vs. Mini Implants
Dental implants have truly changed the game for dentistry. If you have missing, damaged, or broken teeth, single tooth implants can be the perfect answer for you. At Jon C. Packman DDS, Dr. Packman and can fit you in with quality materials, effective procedures, and dentistry services. Losing multiple teeth isn’t just a problem for your smile; missing teeth can even change the shape of your face. Dentists have found that missing teeth alters the functioning of the jaw and leads to uneven wear on the teeth when you chew. Not chewing food properly can lead to digestive issues.
Implants for Every Need
Implants can be used to replace any number of missing teeth, whether you are missing only one, or you are missing a whole mouthful of them. To accommodate your specific needs, there are different types of dental implants:
| • | Single tooth implants. One implant is placed in your jaw and is meant to hold a single crown. |
| • | Multiple tooth implants. Also known as an implant supported bridge, multiple tooth implants take the place of traditionally fixed bridges and partial dentures. The number of implants required for your specific replacement teeth depends on a few factors, such as the number of missing teeth and your jawbone. |
| • | Implant supported dentures. Implant supported dentures are made to replace an entire arch of missing teeth (or both of them). Your replacement teeth are supported on 6 to 8 implants. |
| • | All-on-4®. The All-on-4® Treatment Concept is made for those who want dental implants but may not have enough bone mass to successfully support the necessary 6 to 8 implants. Instead, an entire arch of replacement teeth is supported by only four implants that are placed very strategically within your jaw. |
Getting Your Dental Implants
Implants involve a surgical procedure. We begin by numbing the surgical sites. Incisions are made in your gum tissue, and holes drilled into the jawbone. The implants are then placed, and your gums stitched closed around them.
Healing from surgery can take up to several months, depending on how many implants have been placed in your jaw. Temporary teeth are provided for you to allow you some function of your mouth as your jaw begins to fuse to the implants. Once you have healed, we can then use our CAD/CAM technology to create your replacement teeth. Those teeth are screwed permanently in place.
How Long Is the Recovery Process for Dental Implants?
There are various reasons why you might decide to have dental implants. You could have self-consciousness when talking and smiling after losing a tooth or several teeth. Dental implants can help you look better, feel better about yourself, feel more comfortable in your mouth, and find it simpler to eat and communicate. Several variables will affect how long healing will take. At Jon C. Packman DDS doctors Dr. Packman and will recommend the proper aftercare for safe recovery after single tooth implants or multiple tooth implants.
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are several benefits of dental implants:
| • | Permanent. They will not slip out of place while you eat or speak. |
| • | Comfortable. Your teeth are supported by the implants, rather than your gums. |
| • | Easy to care for. They can be brushed just like your natural teeth. Moreover, they do not have to be removed each night. |
| • | Restored eating and speech. |
| • | Your smile is restored, as well as your confidence. |
| • | Implants help to prevent the bone loss that normally follows tooth loss. |
If you have experienced tooth loss, call Jon C. Packman DDS at (704) 978-7060 and find out if dental implants are right for you!
