Implant Restoration
A dental implant is a small titanium screw secured in the jawbone that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. Titanium’s special property of fusing to bone allows the dental implant to stabilize the bone preventing bone loss and maintaining its shape and density. The implant serves as an anchor for the replacement tooth or teeth (single crowns, bridges or dentures). Dental implants are surgically placed into the jaw. They can be placed in either the upper or lower jaw. Due to the biocompatible properties of titanium, a dental implant fuses with the bone and becomes a good anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used in solutions for replacing single or multiple missing teeth.
If you are confused about what goes on top of a dental implant after it is placed, you are not alone. Questions like: how many components are there? What is an abutment? How does the crown fit into it all? What kind of abutment and crown will be placed? And the question: Do you really need to worry about all of these? The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES.
The fact is not all abutments and crowns are created equal. Typically, following the placement of a dental implant by oral surgeon, patients must return to us to have the final abutment and crown made. The type and shape of the abutment and crown is critical in achieving longevity and success with the aesthetic and functional results you expect. But far too often, poor abutment and crown designs lead to compromised results and unhappy patients. For best results, we use a customized abutment for your dental implant.
Custom abutments are made by a dental laboratory. We captures the position of the implant and the shape of the surrounding gum tissue by taking an impression. The laboratory then fabricates an abutment that resembles the emergence and shape of a natural tooth. The custom abutment will fit perfectly on the implant and supports the gum tissue similar to a natural tooth.
There are two main types of implant crown that are commonly used by dentists. These are:
1) Cement-Retained Crowns.
A cement-retained crown is a cap that is attached to the abutment on the implant using dental cement. Cement-retained crowns tend to have the best aesthetics, and attaching one is a relatively simple process.
2) SCREW-RETAINED CROWNS.
Crowns can also be secured to an implant using a lingual screw and an occlusal. This type of crown has a hole on the side that rests on the gums, and this is used to attach it directly to the implant using a fixation screw. These types of crowns are much easier to maintain since they can be easily screwed off for maintenance and repairs.
An implant supported bridge may be the ideal treatment if you are missing three or more teeth in a row. We do not need to remove healthy tooth structure from the adjacent teeth as we would with a traditional bridge. Instead, we can anchor the bridge on strong, durable dental implants for maximum functionality, aesthetics, and longevity.