What are dental implants?
Dental implants are life-like fabricated teeth bonded to your jaw bone. These porcelain and metal prosthetics are typically permanent, singular replacements, but they’re sometimes made to be removable like dentures.
The primary key to dental implants’ rise in popularity is that, unlike bridges, they don’t require treating adjacent teeth.
To blend each into your smile, Dr. Palmieri selects a matching shade of porcelain for the top (crown) of your implants, which also replicates the translucence and stain-resistance of your surrounding organic teeth.
Under your gum line, a titanium metal base ensures longevity and stability. Dr. Palmieri proudly uses the Straumann® brand for all his dental implant treatments.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
For lost, pulled, or genetically missing adult teeth, dental implants offer an array of health and cosmetic benefits:
- Fills a gap without needing to drill adjacent teeth
- Appears and feels natural
- Maintains articulated speech
- Protects gums while eating solid food
- Keeps teeth from gradually misaligning
- Restores a more youthful look
- Preserves your confidence in smiling
- Cleans easily (just like real teeth)
How do dental implants work?
Once Dr. Palmieri confirms you’re a candidate for dental implants, he applies local anesthesia to the gums surrounding your missing tooth. It’s a two-stage service because the titanium root contains two pieces — the post and the abutment — that need to be implanted separately over time.
Dr. Palmieri first places the post in your gum, anchoring it to the bone socket where your old tooth was (or should have been if that adult tooth never grew in). Over the next 6-12 weeks, the bone in your jaw grows around the first half of your new dental root.
On your follow-up visit, Dr. Palmieri bonds the abutment to the post and prepares the porcelain crown that you’ll see above your gums.
He makes an impression of your real teeth to replicate your bite and ensure the new crown joins it perfectly, then bonds your implant’s porcelain top to its titanium root.
Do dental implants hurt?
Generally speaking, getting a dental implant hurts less than having a tooth pulled. Dr. Palmieri desensitizes your treatment area by administering local anesthesia to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible during the service.
Do dental implants last forever?
For almost all good candidates, dental implants are effective treatments that last years and years — often a lifetime — in conjunction with regular cleaning and taking good care of your mouth.
If you’re missing a tooth, now’s the time to replace it with an efficient, essentially permanent solution. Call Palmieri Dentistry or book an appointment online for a one-on-one consultation.
