What are dental implants?

Dental implants are small titanium posts that replace your natural tooth roots if you have a missing tooth. Unlike other replacement options, like removable dentures, dental implants bond to your jawbone to provide stability for your prosthetic teeth — fixed dentures or dental crowns.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

With dental implants, you never have to worry about taking your dentures out to clean them because they look, feel, and function exactly like your natural teeth. Some of the most valuable benefits of dental implants include:

Stability

Dental implants won’t shift on top of your gums like poor-fitting removable dentures because they’re fixed to your jawbone.

Comfort

Over time, dentures can irritate your gums, leading to sores and gum inflammation. Dental implants relieve pressure from your gums because they connect to your dentures, reducing pain and discomfort.

Durability

When cared for properly, dental implants can last for 25 years or more. In comparison, removable dentures typically last about 8-10 years.

Appearance

Shifting or poor-fitting dentures can look bulky and unnatural. Dental implants hold your replacement teeth, so they look as natural as they feel.

Oral hygiene

You can brush and floss your dental implants just like your natural teeth, unlike removable dentures, which you have to take out to disinfect.

Eating and speaking

Dental implants eliminate any discomfort that comes from chewing or speaking with dentures, including talking with a lisp or mumbling. Even better, no foods are off-limits because implants connect to your replacement teeth.

How are dental implants placed?

Dr. Kanani uses digital X-rays, and cone-beam CT scans to design your dental implant placement plan. Dental implants require a healthy amount of jawbone to place. While many dentists recommend a traditional bone graft, Dr. Kanani’s implant placement method takes advantage of the bone you already have to create a sturdy base for your implants.

Rather than drilling directly into the bone, Dr. Kanani uses a series of dental instruments to expand the jawbone until it forms a space large enough to hold the implant.

This technique, called flap-less or drill-less surgery, condenses the outer bone into a thicker wall that creates more support for the dental implant. Not only does this technique result in less pain, costs, and recovery time, it preserves as much of your natural bone as possible.

Once Dr. Kanani places your implants, it takes about 6-12 weeks for your mouth to heal completely. Finally, he takes impressions of your mouth to create your replacement teeth, which he connects to your implants at your final appointment.

Dr. Kanani uses a renowned technique for drill-less implants and bone expansions. To learn more, call Around the Corner Dental Health Spa or schedule a visit online today.