Your St. James, Winnipeg Invisalign® Provider
Our St. James dentists may place a dental implant as part of the process to replace a missing tooth.
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that your dentist surgically places into your jaw bone to support a tooth replacement. Together, the implant and tooth replacement look and act like a natural tooth.
Replacing Missing Teeth
To preserve your long term oral health, it is crucial to replace missing teeth. If you're missing one or more teeth, dental implants can be used to address a number of oral health issues, including:
- To prevent surrounding teeth from shifting
- To resolve jaw joint pain or bite issue
- To improve chewing, speech and digestion
- To restore or enhance facial tissues
- To support a dental crown, dental bridge or dentures
Placing a Dental Implant
A dental implant has two pieces: a titanium rod that is placed into the jaw bone and functions like the root of the tooth, and an abutment that screws into the rod.
Your dentist will first place the titanium rod into your jaw bone beneath the gum tissue, and then stitch the gum tissue back into place. As the tissue heals, the implant will bond with the bone and attach to the gum.
Next, your dentist will attach the abutment to the rod. Finally, they will attach a tooth replacement to the abutment creating the appearance and function of a natural tooth.