Dental Implant Candidates

Hampton, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that has been surgically placed into the jaw to replace a missing tooth. Depending on the structure of the jaw, it may be necessary to perform bone grafting, to fill in any abnormalities or weakness, prior to the implant being placed. Once an implant is in place, a dental crown will be molded to match your surrounding teeth and fitted over the new root; restoring functionality, beauty, and structure to your teeth.

Causes of Missing Teeth

Teeth may need to be removed or fall out on their own for a number of reasons. Teeth can become severely damaged by tooth decay leading to extraction. Blunt force or trauma from an accident can knock a tooth loose and cause it to fall out. In some cases, people are simply born without a full set of adult teeth. No matter what the cause, a missing tooth can be an imperative to basic functions like chewing and eating, and an unsightly, embarrassing mar to your smile.

Advantages of Dental Implants

Dental implants are preferable to most other solutions to replace missing teeth because:

• Permanence – As a permanent part of your smile, you never have to worry about removing, adhering, or having them fall out.
• Preserve jaw structure – Unlike dentures, dental implants actually maintain your original facial features.
• Strength – Dental implants allow you to enjoy all the functionality of your original teeth. They will not slip or fall out, ensuring greater ease in chewing, eating, speaking, and providing more self-confidence.

Procedure

Dental implants are tooth roots, and as such, require a hole in which to be inserted. Using a precision drill, a pilot hole is created in the jawbone directly where the implant will be placed. The hole is then expanded until it is of a sufficient depth and width to properly accommodate the implant. The implant itself is then carefully screwed into place, ensuring no damage is done to the surrounding bone.

Once healed, a titanium screw will be inserted into the implant. This screw will be used to secure your new crown, molded to match your teeth exactly during a previous visit.

Candidates

Ideal candidates for dental implants are people who are missing teeth for any reason. Perhaps you have a hard time biting and chewing due to missing teeth. Perhaps your missing teeth cause you social discomfort. Or perhaps you have dentures, and are inconvenienced by their application and potential for failure. In any of those instances, dental implants can provide a permanent, safe solution for your personal needs.

If you live in the Virginia Beach, Virginia area, and would like to consider your options for dental implants, please contact Michael Folck, DDS to schedule an initial consultation. Dr. Folck serves Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton, and Chesapeake, Virginia.