Dental implants are small pieces of titanium metal used to replace missing teeth. Shaped like a rod or screw, these implants are placed directly into your gum and jaw tissue. Once the implant heals, it acts as an artificial tooth root.
Then, one or more implants can be used to support a crown to replace one tooth, dental bridges to replace multiple teeth, or dentures to replace a full row of missing teeth. To learn more and explore your options, contact Scripps Rock Dental for an appointment in San Diego.
Dental implants last 30+ years with proper care. They also attach directly to your jaw bone, so they will never move. Dental implants also look and feel very natural, since they are designed to imitate your natural facial anatomy.
In addition, dental implants stimulate and support your jaw bone, preventing bone loss. Other restorative treatments like dentures and dental bridges don’t do this. Only implants stop bone loss due to missing teeth. Have questions about the benefits of dental implants? Use the button below to get in touch with our team!
The dental implant process usually takes about 7 months or longer, depending on your case. Learn more below.
In some cases, you may need additional surgeries like bone grafts to prepare for your implant placement. These will be taken care of before your implant procedure begins. At your implant appointment, your mouth will be cleaned and numbed. Then, Dr. Gupta or Dr. Tony will create a small opening in your gums and jaw, and place a metal implant into the area. Then, the area will be cleaned and sutured shut. You’ll be sent home to heal and recover.
It will take 1-2 weeks to heal from the initial surgery, but 3-6 months for the jaw bone to bond with your implant. During this time, you’ll come back for several checkups at our office, and Dr. Tony or Dr. Gupta will take impressions and photos of your smile so that they can build your dental implant restoration.
At your last appointment, Dr. Gupta or Dr. Tony will check your implant one last time, and then place your final implant restoration to replace your missing tooth, such as a dental crown for a single-tooth implant. This completes the procedure.
Single-tooth implants use one implant and one dental crown to restore a single missing tooth.
An implant-supported bridge uses two implants to support a dental bridge, which replaces 2, 3, or more missing teeth.
A series of 4-6 implants can be used to support a set of permanent or removable implant-supported dentures, restoring all of your teeth at once.
Single-tooth implants use one implant and one dental crown to restore a single missing tooth.
An implant-supported bridge uses two implants to support a dental bridge, which replaces 2, 3, or more missing teeth.
A series of 4-6 implants can be used to support a set of permanent or removable implant-supported dentures, restoring all of your teeth at once.