Your smile says a lot about your personality and confidence. That is one reason we offer dental implants to our patients. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root (typically made of titanium) that is placed in your upper or lower arch to anchor a crown. Dr. Firlik is an expert in dental implants and a great choice if you are a candidate for implants.
Dental implants are a permanent and appealing solution to replace missing or extracted teeth. They are better than other alternatives, such as bridges, because no additional teeth need to be altered to place the implant.
Dental Implant Process
The entire implant process is performed over the course of a few months. The first part of the process is to install the implant itself, a titanium screw placed into healthy bone of your upper or lower arch.
In order to insert the implant, a tiny incision is made in the gum. The implant is placed, and the gums are closed with sutures. In many cases, multiple implants can be placed at once. The implant must be allowed approximately 3-6 months to heal. During this time, the jaw bone will form around the implant in a process called osseointegration.
After the implant has healed, an implant abutment can be placed on the implant to serve as the base for the placement of a crown. An impression of the abutment is then taken and used to create your permanent crown. When the crown has been fabricated, Dr. Firlik will place it over the abutment.
With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime. Dr. Firlik offers single tooth implants, All-on-4 dental implants, and implant-supported dentures.
