Dental implants are the closest alternative you can get to healthy, natural teeth when you\u2019ve cracked your real tooth or otherwise damaged it beyond repair. Implants allow our patients to live the way you want to \u2013 confidently eating, smiling, laughing, talking, kissing and enjoying all of your everyday activities without worrying about your teeth.\u00a0 Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss — mostly due to tooth decay, periodontal disease, or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But today, dental implants are available.\u00a0 Dental implants are metal posts or frames surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath your gums. \u00a0Once in place, they allow Dr. Galaif to mount replacement teeth onto them.<\/p>\n
Because implants fuse to your jawbone, they provide stable support for artificial teeth. You can think of dental implants as artificial tooth roots, similar in shape to screws. \u00a0When placed in your jawbone dental implants bond with your natural bone, becoming a sturdy base for supporting one or more artificial teeth, called crowns.\u00a0 A connector, known as an abutment, is placed on top of the implant to hold and support your crowns. The crowns are custom-made to match your natural teeth, and fit your mouth.\u00a0 Modern dental implants have been used successfully for over 30 years. They are the strongest devices available to support replacement teeth and allow these new teeth to feel, look and function naturally. Despite the easy application of modern implants, many of them rely on veneers<\/a> to enhance the appearance of their teeth.\u00a0 When performed by a trained and experienced dentist (visit the Universal Dental Jax<\/a> who are the best in town), dental implant surgery is one of the safest and most predictable procedures available in dentistry.\u00a0 An advantage of implants is that no adjacent teeth need to be prepared or ground down to hold your new replacement tooth\/teeth in place.<\/p>\n To receive implants, you need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. You must also commit to keeping these structures healthy. Meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits are critical to the long-term success of dental implants.\u00a0 Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. \u00a0Local anesthesia can be used during the procedure, and most patients report that implants involve less pain than a tooth extraction.\u00a0 After the dental implant, mild soreness can typically be treated with over-the-counter pain medications, such as Tylenol or Motrin.<\/p>\n There are many advantages to dental implants, including:<\/p>\n Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care, implants can last a lifetime.<\/p>\n There are great advantages to choosing a dental implant for tooth replacement over the other options. Dental implants are conservative in that missing teeth can be replaced without affecting or altering the adjacent teeth. Furthermore, because dental implants integrate into the bone structure, they are very stable and can have the look and feel of one’s own natural teeth.<\/p>\n Contact us to discuss potential dental implant needs, or to make an appointment for your regular checkup:<\/p>\n\n