Dental implants from our Surrey dentist are a natural looking way to replace your missing teeth and improve the function of your smile. Today our dentists explain the different parts of the complete dental implant.
Dental implants can help to restore the function of your smile, and boost your self-confidence, but what exactly is a dental implant?
3 Parts of a Dental Implant
1 - The Implant
The actual implant portion of the dental implant is a small titanium screw which your dentist surgically places in your jaw. The screw forms a stable base or 'root' to which an artificial tooth can be attached. Once the implant has been placed it will gradually become integrated with your jaw bone forming a permanent base to your restoration.
2 - The Abutment
Once the implant has been placed and your jaw has healed, an abutment can be attached to the implant. An abutment is a small titanium or ceramic connector which will secure the dental implant to the restoration.
3 - The Restoration
Following the addition of the abutment, a restoration can now be attached. Depending on the number of teeth being replaced, your restoration could be a crown, bridge or denture.
Types of Restorations:
- Crown - If a single tooth is being replaced a dental crown will be used. Crowns are typically ceramic, or a mixture of metal and porcelain, and will be screwed or cemented to the abutment to create a natural looking artificial tooth.
- Bridge - To replace a number of teeth in a row, a dental bridge may be used. The artificial teeth in a dental bridge will be colour matched to your natural teeth to give your smile a natural appearance. Bridges are usually made from porcelain and are held securely in place by two implants.
- Denture - When a patient is replacing a full jaw of teeth, an implant supported denture can be used. Implant supported dentures are typically made with either plastic or porcelain teeth attached to an acrylic base which is coloured to look like the natural gum line. These dentures are held securely in place by dental implants.
