What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are an alternative to dentures and bridgework for replacing teeth. The dental implant is made from titanium and is surgically implanted in the jawbone. An implant functions like the root of your missing tooth. Implants are usually placed in a dental office, using only local anesthesia. Generally, there is minimal post-operative pain or discomfort
The concept of this generation of implants came out of the arena of orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic surgeons have known for years that bone screws work in arms and legs. In the late 1970s, an orthopedic surgeon in Sweden started to develop these devices for the mouth. In 1985, Dr. Goldberg was one of a select number of U.S. practitioners who studied with P.I. Bränemark, Professor, MD, PhD, father of modern implantology from Göteborg, Sweden. Read New York Times article, A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges

An incision is made at the site of the implant.	the site is prepared and the fixture is screwed or pressed into place in the jawbone.	the site is covered for three to six months to allow the bone to grow around the implant.
		With today’s newer generation of implants, it is now possible to do the entire process in one visit.
The top of the fixture is then exposed and an abutment is attached.	A crown (shown), bridge, or denture is attached.
How implants compare with other tooth replacement therapies.

Periodontics & Implants