What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a small "anchor" made of titanium. It is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root. After the surrounding bone has attached to the implant, called Osseointegration, a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant. The new tooth looks, feels, and performs just like your natural teeth. 

What can Dental Implants do?
Dental implants can be used in a variety of situations, they can: 
    ·        Replace a single missing tooth with a crown. 
    ·        Replace many missing teeth with a bridge.  
    ·        Replace a full or partial denture. 
    ·        Provide support for a full or partial denture making it more secure and                    comfortable.

Benefits of Dental Implants:
More Healthful and Beautiful
When teeth are missing, the surrounding bone begins to shrink. This unhealthy bone loss can make your jawline recede. Dental implants can help prevent deterioration of the jawbone caused by loss of teeth, so your face retains its natural shape. 
Tooth Preservation
As an alternative to bridgework, dental implants eliminate the need to grind down healthy teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth.  More of your own teeth are left untouched, resulting in a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!
More Comfortable
Because dental implants are securely anchored, there is no slipping or movement as there is with dentures. This eliminates some of the key worries of dentures, including poor fit, gum irritation, and pain from exposed nerves. 
More Confidence
With dental implants, you will never need to cover your mouth when laughing, smiling, or speaking. You can eat your favorite foods without pain or fear of embarrassment - and taste every bite. You will look better, feel better, and live more confidently.

Are you an implant candidate?
If you're healthy enough to have a tooth extracted, you're probably healthy enough to have an implant. It doesn’t matter whether your missing teeth are the result of injury, disease, or decay.  General good health and adequate bone in the jaw are the key requirements.

The Procedure
The dental implant process involves several steps that take place over a time period that averages from four to nine months. The typical process will include:
Initial implant placement: This procedure is typically performed in our office with only a local anesthetic. Through a small incision we place the implant into your jawbone. Over the next several months, bone will attach to the surface of the implant anchoring it into position. Depending on your particular case, an additional minor procedure creates an opening through which your artificial tooth will emerge. 
Implant prosthetic attachment: During this phase, we painlessly attach a prosthetic "post" to the implant. A simple impression will be taken and over the next few days an artificial tooth will be created for a functional natural restoration.