When you are thinking about replacing your teeth, finding out about dental implants can be quite a game changer. One moment, you think that you’re going to have to rely on a bridge or a partial (or a full denture) to help you revive your grin that once included a complete set of teeth. The next moment, you find out that you can actually get quite close to the smile you initially had by choosing implants. Or at least, that’s what you keep hearing. As for the parts and specifics of how these replacements are constructed and what they do, you’re not really sure. We can help with that!
Beginning At Your Roots
Let’s begin at the beginning with your missing tooth and the way we use dental implants to replace it: We start with an implant. You may refer to this as an implant post, a dental post, or just an implant. Whatever you call it, this is what replaces the roots of your tooth. It will fuse with your jawbone after surgery and it’s going to act as the super-stable base for the remainder of your tooth replacement.
Movin’ On Up
Now, let’s move up toward the crown of your missing tooth! Before we get there, it’s important to remember that we won’t simply place your dental crown directly onto your dental implant. The implant needs a way to securely connect with the crown, which is accomplished by a very little device that we call your abutment.
The Crown
Here we are, just above your gumline, where you’ll be able to see the abutment. This will join the implant that’s resting within your jaw and within your gum tissue with your crown. The dental crown (restoration replacing your visible tooth portion) is placed on the abutment and you’ve got yourself a root-to-crown replacement!
Get The Skinny On Implants With A Visit
Learn about the implant parts, how implants may work to help replace your missing teeth, and more when you see our team. James Stewart, DDS, and our team serve patients from Livonia, MI, as well as Farmington Hills, Farmington, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Garden City, Westland, Redford, and the surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.