Implant Restorations

Dental implants are replacement prosthetic teeth that are used to restore missing natural ones. They are usually inserted into the jawbone using a metal stud. A ceramic crown is used to mimic the natural tooth's appearance, which will be attached to the implant with the help of a connecting abutment and dental adhesives.

Why should you choose dental implants?

• Implants offer excellent longevity. With optimum care, they are known to last for several years without any hassle.
• Implants hold the jawbone intact as they have screw-like grooves on their surface.
• They prevent the drifting of teeth as they fill the gap in the jawbone left by the extracted tooth.
• The crown placed on a dental implant can be customized to a great extent. It can be made to mimic the natural teeth to avoid being detected easily perfectly.
• The implant offers excellent strength, sturdiness, and durability.

What is the procedure involved?

Placing an implant stud in the jawbone is one of the most critical phases of implant surgery. It requires extensive planning and precision, which is why oral surgeons give a lot of prominence to it. Once all the factors affecting the candidacy for implants are satisfied, the oral surgeon will prepare you for the implant placement surgery.

Administering anesthesia: Since the implant placement procedure involves making changes to the gums and jawbone, it could become quite painful for the patient to stay through it without being sedated. Hence, we will administer local anesthesia to the gums, which will numb the teeth, gums, and the jawbone. Within a few minutes, you wouldn't have any sensation in the mouth and would fall into a semi-conscious state. You wouldn't have any memory of the surgery after the anesthesia wears off.

Accessing the jawbone: Once the anesthesia takes full effect, a small slit will be made on the gums exactly where the implant should be placed. Next, the jawbone will be exposed, and high-precision dental instruments are used to make a hole in it. This will be done with extreme caution and accuracy as the placement of the tooth crown and the patient's bite would depend on it.

Placing the implant: The implant stud has grooves on its surface, which help to hold it firmly in place. It will carefully be screwed into the hole made in the jawbone. Once it is securely held in place, the slit made on the gums will be closed, and the wound will be allowed to heal for a specified duration of time. Generally, the oral surgeon suggests a few months for the implant stud to firmly adhere to the jawbone, making it strong and sturdy.

Attaching the crown: Once the implant firmly adheres to the bone, you will be prepared for a second surgery. During this, the dentist will fix the prefabricated ceramic crown on the implant and secure it firmly using an abutment and dental cement. A bite test will be conducted, and the implant will be polished to give it the right luster.

To have a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Shirley Zao, please schedule an online appointment or call us at (925) 847-8790, and we will be happy to help.