Dental Implant Parts
If you are missing a tooth or multiple teeth in one area of your mouth, dental implants are a great way to restore your smile! Dental implants help simulate bone regeneration and prevent deterioration, which is possible with other types of restorations such as a bridge or denture.
Dental implants can be used to support a dental bridge or denture as well as replacing an individual tooth. There are three components that make up in implant restoration: the implant, the abutment, and the implant crown. Let’s take a closer look at the parts of an implant and the procedure involved in placing them.
Dental implant
A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically placed into your jawbone with a small portion extending above the gum tissue. An oral surgeon or periodontist will place your implant.
To begin, a small incision is made in the gum tissue and a small hole is drilled into your jaw bone. The titanium implant is then screwed into your bone and a healing cap is placed over the implant to protect it from damage and infection while it heals and integrates with your bone structure.
Sometimes, a patient may require a bone graft if there is not sufficient bone structure to support the implant. In this case, implant placement will take two surgeries and additional healing time.
Implant Abutment
While your implant heals, a temporary abutment, the healing cap, will be in place for six months. Once the implant is fully integrated with your bone, the specialist who placed your implant will let your dentist know that you are ready for restoration!
At this point, your dentist will remove the healing cap and take an impression of your entire mouth to make a model which the dental lab will use to fabricate your custom abutment and crown. The healing cap will be replaced until your case comes back from the lab, which usually takes about two weeks.
Along with your new implant crown, a custom abutment will be used to connect the implant crown to the implant. The abutment is usually made of titanium like the implant but it can also be made with zirconia to match the color of the implant tooth.
Implant Crown
The implant crown will be fabricated using porcelain and will be tinted to match the rest of your teeth. The implant crown is either cemented or screwed onto the abutment. If a screw is used, the access hole in the crown is filled using the same composite material that is used for dental fillings.
Depending on the number of teeth being replaced, your dental crown can be one individual tooth or a few teeth connected together and attached to one or two implants. Dental implants can even be used to support an entire arch of teeth called implant supported dentures.
If you need to have one or more teeth replaced, speak with your dentist to see if you are a candidate for dental implant placement.