What are dental implants?

Dental implants are sometimes the best option for replacing missing teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, implants are long-term replacements that your dentist surgically places in the jawbone.

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that a periodontist places into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. They are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

While high-tech in nature, implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.

Dental implants feel and look so natural that you may forget you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures do not feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing.

Artificial teeth are a welcome choice if you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence. Implants can look and feel just as natural as your own teeth. Under proper conditions, such as placement by a periodontist and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last a lifetime. Long-term studies continue to show improving success rates for implants.

By replacing missing tooth roots, tooth implants provide people with the strength and stability required to eat all the foods they love, without struggling to chew. Additionally, tooth implants stimulate and maintain the jaw bone, preventing bone loss and helping to maintain facial features.

Dental implants are made up of three parts: an artificial root made of titanium that joins with the jawbone, an abutment connected to the titanium root, and a crown resembling a natural tooth.

Implants feel and work like natural teeth because they are adhered to the bone without using regular adhesives or artificial gum lines. They are never removed and do not rely on other teeth for support.

If you are missing all or most of your teeth on the top or bottom, your dentist can use four artificial teeth to support a full set of new teeth, eliminating the need for dentures.

After more than 20 years of service, the vast majority of artificial teeth first placed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States continue to still function at peak performance. More importantly, the recipients of those early artificial teeth are still satisfied they made the right choice. If properly cared for, artificial teeth can last a lifetime.

Tooth implants were invented in 1965 when a dentist treated a patient who was missing teeth due to severe chin and jaw deformities. He was the first person in the world to receive titanium tooth implants.

After years of careful research and study, implants were refined with high success rates. There are patients now who have had implant-supported teeth for more than 40 years. Tooth implants have come a long way, and more than 1.7 million tooth implants were performed in 2006. With almost 50 years of clinical research and an overall success rate of about 96 percent, implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacement of missing teeth.

Garbis Dental provides dental implants in Columbia, Clarksville, Ellicott City, Elkridge, Highland, Laurel, Silver Spring, Olney and the nearby communities.