Dental implants have revolutionized dentistry, and have changed the way we manage teeth. Unlike years past, we as dental professionals do not try to “save every tooth” and instead look in terms of long term prognosis for a tooth, determining whether the long term prognosis is comparable to extraction and implant replacement. Dental implants allow replacement of a tooth, several teeth, replacement or stabilization of a partial denture and replacement or stabilization of a denture. Dental implants eliminate the worry over decay, abscess, and the need for root canals or fracture.

Implant placement is dependant upon the amount of bone available in the jaws. For patients who are missing teeth, sometimes a bone graft or gum graft is required prior to or along with implant placement. For patients who have a failing tooth, an immediate implant can many times be placed at the time of extraction, most often again some type of bone graft is placed into the extraction site to prevent bone loss.

In the area of the mouth where appearance is important, an immediate temporary crown is often built on the implant. The temporary crown is important in allowing proper healing of the gum tissues, and allows the patient to smile with a tooth in place without the need for some type of removable temporary prosthesis. If an immediate temporary crown is placed at the time of implant placement, it is important not to chew with the implant for the first 6 weeks. Initially, the implant is mechanically stable in the bone, but it takes 6 weeks for the bone bonding to reach a sufficient level capable of resisting chewing forces.