Dental Implants

What are dental implants? 

Dental implants are metal posts that provide a firm, long-lasting foundation for oral restorations like bridges, crowns, and implant-supported dentures. 

Your Smile Studio of Buford provider places them into your jaw during a quick, outpatient procedure. Afterward, you return home for several months while your bone extends around each post, fusing them in place.

Dental implants mimic the appearance of your permanent teeth. Because they connect to your jaw, there is no need for glue or adhesive to hold them in place like you would with dentures.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

Dental implants provide an array of advantages compared to traditional restorations, including: 

• Easier eating
• Improved comfort
• Durability
• Convenience
• Better oral health

Dental implants can also boost your confidence and improve your physical appearance. If you’re missing teeth, the skin around your mouth tends to fold and sag. Implants restore structure to your face, minimizing wrinkles and fine lines.

What does getting dental implants involve?

Getting dental implants typically takes a series of multiple appointments spaced over several months. Though this might seem like a long time, it’s important to remember that, with good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, they can last the rest of your life.

At your initial consultation, the team conducts an oral exam and takes oral X-rays to determine the health of your tooth roots, jaw, and alveolar bone. If there’s no sign of gum disease and you have plenty of bone to support the implants, your provider places them.

First, your provider administers a local anesthetic. Once you’re comfortable, she places the implants into your jaw. You return home for a few months, allowing your mouth to heal and the bone to grow around each implant.

When your implants are firmly secured, you return to Smile Studio of Buford. Your provider takes impressions of your mouth and sends them to a laboratory that manufactures your crowns, bridge, or implant-supported dentures.

Several weeks later, you return to the office for your final appointment. Your provider lines up your restorations with your implants and bonds them in place. They also provide you with a list of care instructions.

Do dental implants require regular maintenance?

To keep your dental implants in optimal condition, it’s important to practice good oral hygiene. The team at Smile Studio of Buford recommends brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and visiting the office every six months for a professional cleaning and oral exam.

If you play sports or lead a physically active lifestyle, wear a mouthguard. Avoid bad habits as well, including nail-biting, opening objects with your teeth, and biting down on hard objects like ice or popcorn kernels.

To see if you’re a candidate for dental implants, request a consultation at Smile Studio of Buford. Call the office to schedule an appointment or request one online today.

BOOK ONLINE