Dental implants are strong and durable tooth replacements that look and feel like natural teeth. They help to prevent bone loss, maintain facial structure, and improve chewing and speech.
A dental implant consists of a root hidden under the gum and a tooth that sits on top. When placed correctly, dental implants will fuse with your jawbone to prevent bone loss and preserve your natural smile.
Dental Implants
Dental implant dentistry Chula Vista CA are a popular choice for tooth replacement because they look and feel like natural teeth. They are also fixed and cannot be removed. They can be used to replace single missing teeth, or multiple teeth in the upper or lower jaw.
The procedure involves a surgical placement of an implant in the jawbone under local anesthesia or sedation. The implant fuses with the bone in a process called osseointegration, and a connecting device called an abutment is placed on top to hold the artificial tooth.
Implants can last for decades or a lifetime when properly cared for. Like your natural teeth, they require good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist. Smoking increases your risk of infection, slows the healing process and can contribute to the failure of your implant. Therefore, it is important to quit smoking before and after the procedure. Our hygienist will help you develop a maintenance plan that promotes a favorable prognosis.
Bone Grafts
Dental implants are the best solution to replace a missing tooth. However, if the bone structure is too thin for the implant to stabilize, a bone graft may be required. This surgical procedure involves repositioning and inserting bone tissue into and around the area that is missing bone, thus promoting new and healthy bone growth.
The bone graft material can be harvested from your body (autogenous), obtained from a tissue bank (allograft), or synthetically created in the laboratory (xenograft). The type of bone grafting used will depend on your needs.
The grafting material is placed under local anesthesia, or IV sedation if needed. After the graft has been placed and given time to heal, the dentist will place the dental implant. The patient will then return for their follow up visits to see if the implant is successful. This will involve a visual examination and X-rays. The patient will also need to keep up with their oral hygiene routine and control any gum disease, if present.
Dentures
Many patients who have severe tooth loss are good candidates for dentures. A thorough oral examination and medical history will be reviewed. If gum disease is present, treatment will be necessary to bring the mouth into a healthy state before surgery can take place.
Dental implants are man-made tooth roots that are surgically placed into the jawbone, where they fuse with the bone through a process called osseo integration. This creates a strong bond that mimics the strength and appearance of real teeth. Once the implant dentistry Chula Vista CA are in place, a custom-made crown is attached to give you a new, natural-looking smile.
Full dentures are designed for those who have lost all of the teeth in one or both arches of the lower or upper jaw. Partial dentures are a more conservative option that replaces missing teeth around and between existing teeth. Both types are held in place with small metal clasps that fit discreetly onto the healthy teeth for stability and a more comfortable wear.
Root Canals
A root canal is one of the most feared dental procedures, but advancements in local anesthetics have made them no more uncomfortable than getting a standard filling. In fact, over-the-counter painkillers are often sufficient to ease the discomfort after treatment.
Root Canal therapy is an effective way to preserve a severely infected or damaged tooth. It involves eliminating the infected tissue, cleaning and shaping the inside of the tooth, and sealing it to prevent infection or future issues.
The first step in the implant process involves x-rays and impressions (molds) of your jaw and teeth. These allow us to determine the amount and quality of bone and gum tissue available for an implant, as well as the best position for it. We also evaluate the thickness of the walls in the empty socket to ensure that they are strong enough for a crown, which will be placed on top of the implant several months later.
