What is a dental implant?

We currently place titanium root form implants in the jaw to serve as a root subsitute, preserve the jaw bone, and to place a prothesis (crown) or (overdenture abutment).  

Why do I need a dental implant? 

If you are missing a tooth, a dental implant is the best way to replace the missing tooth.  Your other treatment options are 1. a fixed bridge or 2. a removeable partial denture.  A dental implant will save the bone around the missing tooth and prevent the surrounding teeth from having to be cut and prepared for a bridge and also prevent the bulkiness of a removeable partial denture.

Do dental implants hurt?

Most of our patient do not have any discomfort from the procedure and pleasantly surprised how smooth the procedure goes. 

Why do I need a bone graft?

If you have a tooth extracted a bone graft will fill the extraction socket with viable bone to hold your dental implant.   If not bone graft is placed in an extraction site, then hole will fill in with 70% soft tissue which will not support an implant and you will suffery bone atropy (shinkage) at that site.

Why do I need a sinus lift and bone graft? 
When you loose teeth in your upper jaw, you loose the bone that supported the teeth.  Also the maxillary sinus will grow downward and resorb  the bone where the roots of your teeth used to be.   The sinus lift is a painless out patient procedure that we do to place new bone to allow you to get dental implants.