Implants are a tooth replacement option that involves placing a new "root" into the bone of your jaw. Once this titanium "root" has fused with your bone it can be used to support a crown, bridge or denture. These implants can also be used to replace partials and other forms of dentures. The success rate for dental implants are extremely high and is due in part to the fact that root-form implants are made of a biocompatible material, titanium. Because titanium is accepted so well by the human body, it is also used for orthopedic implants, such as hip and knee replacements. Dental Implants have now become the standard for replacing older dentistry and missing teeth because they look and feel like your natural teeth and have a higher success rate than all other forms of tooth replacement. The initial cost is generally higher for an implant over other forms of tooth replacement, but the long term benefits easily outweigh the difference in additional cost. An investment in implant dentistry is an investment in overall health, appearance and well being, as it involves preserving the integrity of facial structures, as well as replacing missing teeth.

There are actually two phases to implant dentistry.

Phase 1: Using very accurate surgical techniques, an incision is made in the gum tissues and implants are placed into dimensionally controlled sites (depth and width) in the jawbone.

First, the gum tissue is opened and the jaw bone is tapped with a small drill and then drilled with a wider drill. The implant is inserted into place. The gum tissues are then closed and the healing phase begins. This may take anywhere from 3-6 months to ensure a strong base.

Phase 2: An abutment is secured to the top of the implant placing a new tooth crown onto the implant abutment. Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth or your dentures.

BIOMET 3i OSSEOTITE® and NanoTite Dental Implants are intended for immediate function on single tooth and/or multiple tooth applications when good primary stability is achieved, with appropriate occlusal loading, in order to restore chewing function.

Contraindications: Placement of dental implants may be precluded by patient conditions that are contraindications for surgery. BIOMET 3i Dental Implants should not be placed in patients where the remaining jaw bone is too diminished to provide adequate implant stability.

For more than thirty years, Nobel Biocare dental implants have been produced from chemically unchanged variants of commercially pure titanium. They are cold-worked for exceptional strength and durability, and all feature TiUnite, our proprietary surface that produces benefits in implant stability and bone formation.

The decision to replace missing teeth with dental implants is an excellent investment in your oral health and appearance. Dental implants are now the standard of care for missing teeth. Better than crown and bridge, they look, feel and function like natural teeth. They help prevent bone loss caused by a missing tooth root and do not require the adjacent teeth to be ground down.

Long-term research has shown that Straumann implants have a high success rate. Straumann values quality and reliability, and Straumann implants are backed by over 30 years of scientific evidence.

If something happens to your natural teeth, you can continue to live confidently with implants from Zimmer Dental. Unlike dentures and bridgework, implants are a solution proven by experience to last for many years. They look and feel like your natural teeth and eliminate the worry of slipping or coming loose.

For more than two decades, dental implants have been used successfully and are a medically proven alternative that delivers confident living. By working with Zimmer Dental, your doctor can offer you the most advanced implants and prosthetics available today.