Dental Implants

Dental implants can be a wonderful replacement to missing teeth. An implant supported crown or an implant supported bridge is a non-removable solution to replacing missing teeth. The longevity of dental implants depends on several factors. One of the most important factors is the patient’s home care. Dental implants have to be cared for just like natural teeth. They do require a high level of personal oral hygiene. Another important factor is the quality of the manufacturing process. Some dental implant companies are more reputable than others. Quality control from manufacturers is very important since all the parts have to fit very intimately. Some of the most reputable companies are Strauman, Zimmer-Biomet, Nobel, Astra, Biohorizon as well as some others.

The clinician’s training and experience is also a major factor with respect to implant success. Four years of dental school simply does not allow enough time to be proficient at surgical implant placement. Many general dentist choose to take additional courses in implantology after graduating from dental school. Some general dentist are well trained and experienced in implant placement. On the other hand, a periodontist is required to complete 3 years of intensive additional surgical training after dental school. A periodontist is extremely well trained in the surgical aspect of implantology. One of the greatest benefits of choosing a well trained specialist is that the experienced clinician is very proficient at dealing with complications.

Similar to natural teeth, dental implants are susceptible to bone loss. This condition is called Peri-implantitis. The general consensus in the dental community is that Peri-implantitis is best treated by a periodontist. We believe that the best approach to dental implantology is to have the surgical specialist place the implant and have the general dentist fabricate the crown over the bridge.