Implants provide additional support where teeth are missing without putting forces onto remaining natural teeth. They may be used to support the replacement of a single missing tooth or a complete functional set for individuals who have lost many or all of their teeth.

In the past, dentists would try to keep or replace teeth with treatments such as root canals, bridges, and fixed or removable dentures. Unfortunately, a significant number of root canal treated teeth fail, bridges require that healthy adjacent teeth be cut down and removable dentures can often be unstable and require the use of sticky adhesives.

Dental implants are a solution to these problems, and many of the concerns associated with natural teeth are eliminated, including dental decay.

The placement of a dental implant is typically completed in less than an hour, as an office procedure with only local anesthesia. Post-operative discomfort is normally less than that of a tooth extraction. For aesthetic reasons, it is often possible to have a fixed transitional restoration immediately after implant placement so that you are never without a tooth. After a period of three to six months of healing, the temporary healing abutment is removed from the implant and a final abutment is inserted into the implant. A crown or removable denture is secured to this abutment as the final restoration.