Dental Implants
Our dentists at Saba Road Dental Center in Richmond, use dental implants to replace missing teeth and restore the function and appearance of your smile.
Restore Your Smile with Dental Implants
Dental implants are a permanent solution to replacing a single lost tooth, or several missing teeth. Dental implants can address a number of oral health issues and give you with a natural-looking, functional smile.
How Dental Implants Work
Dental implants are small titanium replacements for the roots of a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is attached to the top of the implant to restore the look and function of your smile.
Dental implants can help to:
- Improve the ability to chewing, speech and digestion
- Prevent surrounding teeth from shifting
- Restore the 'sunken face' look associated with missing teeth
- Prevent bite and jaw joint problems caused by teeth shifting
- Resolve jaw joint pain or bite issues
The Implant Procedure
There are three parts to a dental implant: a metal root, an abutment, and a tooth replacement such as crown or bridge.
First, your dentist will surgically place the dental implant into your jaw bone. This stage generally takes four to six months to heal before the artificial tooth or teeth can be placed.
Next, once healed, your dentist will attach the abutment and tooth replacement to the metal root. This is what gives the implant the appearance and function of a natural tooth.
In patients where there is not enough bone to support an implant, advanced surgery to restore bone may be required.
FAQs About Dental Implants
Find the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about implants.