Robert J. Kelly

What are Standard Dental Implants?

A dental implant is really a very simple metal screw which is designed to thread into the bone of the jaw and to allow for the attachment of a (prosthetic) tooth at the top. Implants are made of Medical grade Titanium or Titanium Alloy. Your dentist will purchase the implants in sterile packaging and place them in a small hole in the bone which he or she has prepared as part of the implant placement procedure. The bone will fuse to the implant over a short period of time in a process referred to as 'osseointegration' and once this process is successfully completed (3 to 6 months) the implant is permanently in place.

Types of Implant

1. Single tooth replacement

A single Implant is used to replace a single tooth, can be used both in the front of the mouth and the back of the mouth.

Central Incisor:

Lateral Incisor:

Back Molar:

2. Multiple tooth replacement

Can be used to replace teeth in the form of a Bridge ( teeth joined together ) or with multiple individual teeth.

Two Molars and a Premolar:

3. Full mouth replacement

Replacing upper teeth with a fixed Porcelain Bridge

Replacing upper teeth with a fixed Porcelain Bridge

4. Denture Stabilization

Denture clicks in and out using precision attachments on at least two Implants.

Strong, durable, and natural in appearance, implants are among the most successful dental procedures performed. Although you have a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing teeth, none has proven to be as functionally effective and esthetically natural as implants. In many cases, dental implants may be the only logical choice for the restoration of all necessary functionality of the teeth and supporting structures.