If you face tooth loss, you will want to explore your options for tooth replacement as soon as you can. Losing teeth can be a very difficult and burdensome thing that can wreak havoc on your oral health, as well as your self-esteem. At Eugene Dental Group, we understand the importance of replacing missing teeth and will always provide you with a variety of tooth replacement options, the best of which is a dental implant.

Dental implants are a great way of replacing missing teeth for a wide variety of reasons. They are able to replace a missing tooth in both form and function, and can even support multiple tooth replacement options like a dental bridge or dentures.

How Dental Implants Work

Implants are made up of three main parts – the implant, abutment, and crown. The implant resembles a screw and is made out of titanium. Titanium is a biocompatible metal that the bones and tissues in your body readily accept and eventually support. At the top of the implant is a place to attach the fixture known as the abutment. The abutment provides us a surface to attach the crown to – the crown is a replica of your natural tooth and can be made of a variety of materials.

Implants are surgically placed into the jawbone and are given some time to heal. During this time, the bone in the jaw will grow around the implant, and eventually, it will support the implant the same way it supported your tooth. A strong structural bond will be formed between the bone and the implant. The implant will give your jaw bone the tactile feedback that it needs in order to maintain healthy levels of bone and prevent bone loss. When a tooth is lost and not replaced, tissue and bone loss will occur, which usually results in more teeth being lost. Implants do a great job of protecting you from further tooth loss.

The Procedure

It will take at least two trips to our office to have an implant placed. The first trip involves some planning as well as the placement of the implant into the jaw. We will take an impression of the area where the implant will go so that we can send it to our dental laboratory where they will craft a crown that will look just like your natural tooth. Once we have the impression, we can begin the implant placement process.

The first step in placing an implant is to administer anesthesia – we have a number of sedation options available. Once you are comfortable, we will make an incision in your gums, and then we will prepare your jaw bone to receive the implant. Once the implant has been placed in your jaw we will allow it plenty of time to heal.

When the implant has had several months to heal it will be time for your second appointment. During the second appointment we will place the abutment and affix the crown onto it.

After the crown has been placed, your dental implant procedure will be completed, and you will be able to enjoy life as you did prior to tooth loss. A dental implant will function identically to an organic tooth, and can last for many years.

If you would like to learn more about dental implant, please call us today at (541) 683-8646 to setup a no obligation consultation.