Dental Implants in Los Gatos CA

Dental implants are known to be the best replacement for natural teeth. They consist of a solid titanium stud (which looks like a screw) and acts as the tooth root. A dental crown made of porcelain will act as the prosthetic tooth structure. Together, they form a resilient, durable and strong tooth restoration.

Why should extracted teeth be restored?

Dentists would always recommend you to get a missing tooth restored. This is because of the various disadvantages that they could cause. Some of them are as follows:

• When a tooth is extracted, it is removed along with the root. This leaves an empty space in the jawbone, allowing the adjacent teeth to shift from their natural positions. This can lead to tooth displacement, and ultimately cause malocclusion.
• As the teeth drift from their positions, they could loosen from their sockets in the jawbone. As time passes, the teeth could loosen up so much that it could cause further tooth loss.
• Even a single missing tooth could greatly affect the functionality of your mouth. The way you bite and chew food, talk, smile, etc. would change significantly. Moreover, excessive pressure would be applied to the teeth adjacent to that of the missing one.

Are you a good candidate for dental implants?

The following patients would be the perfect candidates for dental implants:

Patients with extracted teeth: 

• Patients who have had one or more of their teeth extracted due to injuries, malocclusion or any other dental anomaly can choose to get implants.
• Patients with severe cavities: When a patient suffers from cavities, the dentist would usually recommend restoring it with a filling material. But when it's too badly decayed, a root canal therapy would be necessary. If neither of them manages to restore the tooth, it would have to be extracted and an implant can be used to replace it.
• Patients who require dentures: Implant dentures are those which would be anchored in place with the help of implants. A dentist would place implants firmly in the jawbone, and then place the dentures over them for added support.

Procedure to get a dental implant

During the initial visit to our practice, the dentist would carefully examine your teeth to check for any signs of infection, cavities, tartar deposits, and jawbone deterioration. Usually, when a tooth is extracted, a small amount of jawbone will be lost during the process. Sometimes, the loss of bone could be progressive, leading to excessive jawbone deterioration. In such cases, a bone graft would be necessary to increase the amount of jawbone, so that it can hold the implant firmly in place.

A mold of the tooth along with the exact contour and dimensions will be sent to a dental laboratory for fabricating the implant crown. At the beginning of the procedure, local anesthesia will be administered to numb the teeth and gums and to ensure maximum comfort. A small incision will be made on the gums at the site of the missing tooth, and a high precision dental instrument will be used to make a hole in the jawbone. The implant will be placed firmly in the hole and secured using dental adhesives. It will be allowed to heal for the next few weeks, during which the gum tissues grow around the implant and the bone tissues adhere well to the grooves of the implant stud.

During the next visit, an abutment will be placed on the implant and the crown would be placed on it. Again, dental adhesives would be used to firmly bond it to the implant. The bite of the patient would be checked, and any aesthetic changes would be made, if required.

Why are implants the best tooth replacement option?

• Since implant roots are made of titanium and the crown is made from high-quality porcelain, they are strong, highly durable and long-lasting. With proper care, they last several years.
• They prevent the drifting of teeth as they eliminate the excessive gap in the jawbone.
• They restore the functionality of a person's mouth. A patient who gets an implant would be able to bite, chew and speak without any hassle.
• Replacing a lost tooth would boost a person's confidence immensely. It would help them regain their lost smile.

Schedule an appointment with us and find the right solution to all your dental issues.