Dental implants are the gold standard when it comes to replacing missing teeth—meaning that if you’re opting for this solution to restore your smile, you’ve made the best choice! However, you might also feel a little confused by some of the words your periodontist used when describing the process. To help you feel confident as you head into your new smile’s journey, here’s six of the key terms you’ll likely hear, explained!
Implant Post
An implant post is the part of your dental implant that goes directly into your jawbone and replaces the roots of your teeth. They’re small, screw-shaped rods that are made from titanium or zirconia, since these materials can safely fuse with bone tissue and form a permanent bond. Anywhere from one to four or more posts can be used, depending on the number of missing teeth.
Crown
The crown is the visible portion of your dental implant. Crowns are often used to restore decayed teeth, but when combined with a dental implant post, they can fully restore a single missing tooth in terms of look, feel, and function. If multiple teeth are missing, a bridge or denture is used instead of crown, but in any case, the restoration is supposed fully by the underlying post.
Osseointegration
Osseointegration refers to the fusion between your dental implant posts and your jawbone tissue, and it’s arguably the most important part of the whole process. You must facilitate proper healing in the months following your surgery to ensure that osseointegration is successful; however, after this has happened, your implants have the potential to last for life.
Bone Graft
Not every patient can immediately receive dental implants; sometimes they need to undergo a preliminary procedure called a bone graft. This is ideal for patients who’ve suffered bone loss in the jaw due to missing teeth; those areas can be supported by borrowed bone tissue in preparation for the implant posts.
Abutment
An abutment is simply a small connector piece that is placed on top of each dental implant post once they’ve fused with the jaw. Your custom-made dental restoration, whether it be a crown, bridge, or denture, attaches to the abutments and receives full support from the underlying implant posts.
All-on-4
Dental implants are even capable of restoring entire lost arches of teeth through a specialized process called All-on-4. As the name suggests, four strategically placed dental implant posts can be used to support a full row of replacement teeth, and it often allows for the teeth to be fitted on the same day as surgery.
The dental implant journey might seem a little intimidating, but knowing the ins and outs of the process can make you feel confident about ensuring the success of your new smile!
About the Practice
Our team here at Georgia Periodontics, LLC proudly serves patients in Decatur, Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Dunwoody, and all around the Atlanta area. We’re lucky to have two board-certified periodontists leading the way: Dr. Mark Litterer and Dr. Aubrey Scher. With their combined expertise, we can offer a wide variety of services, including in-house dental implant placement. If you have any questions or need to schedule a consultation for yourself or a family member, please reach out online or call today for more information or to find a location near you. Decatur Office Telephone: (404) 378-4245