Dental implants have been used for decades to provide a stable support for missing teeth. Implants can be used to stabilize dentures, act as anchors for a bridge, or replace single teeth that are missing.

Implants are designed to be incorporated into the structure of the jawbone. A crown is then attached to the implant to function as a normal tooth. In most cases, implants take several months from placement to final restoration(s). There is a period of healing while the implant becomes part of the body and stabilizes.

Initial implant placement

Implant with attachment

Implant with final crown
Initial implant placement Implant with attachment Restored implant, with an all-porcelain crown

 

One of the best uses of implants is under a denture. Connecting a denture to an implant with a snap-on retro-fit greatly improves the ability of a person to chew and function without the use of sticky pastes or embarrassing moments of having a denture come loose.

Lower arch with four mini-implants Lower denture with implant attachments See-through view of denture attached to implants
Implants placed into the lower jaw Attachment caps placed into lower denture Lower denture "snapped" over implants