Dental Implants

Losing a tooth can be a devastating moment for anybody. And in fact, it’s quite a common occurrence. More than half of the population is missing at least one tooth, almost three-quarters of young adults and middle-aged adults have lost at least one permanent tooth due to an accident, gum disease or tooth decay and more than a quarter of adults over 75 years old are edentulous, which means they are missing all of their natural teeth.

When you have a missing tooth, it negatively affects your smile and your confidence dramatically. In previous decades, dental bridges or full dentures were most people’s only options to replace a missing tooth or missing teeth. But modern, cutting-edge technology has developed dental implants, permanent replacement teeth that are convenient, safe and can be implemented for multiple teeth or just one tooth at a time.

The periodontists and dental-oral surgeons at Clear Advantage Dental & Orthodontic Clinic in Vancouver are trained and experienced to consult you on your implant procedure with information customized for your unique dental needs and will conduct the tooth-implant procedure effectively and comfortably.

What is a dental implant and what are dental implants made of?

Dental implants are permanent, artificial dental roots to support artificial teeth to replace gaps in your mouth caused by missing teeth. The artificial teeth they hold in place are designed to look like and feel like real, natural teeth.

Dental implants are usually made of titanium metal. This strong material efficiently and safely fills in gaps in your gums where missing teeth roots exist and also provides stable support to the artificial teeth, or artificial “crowns,” i.e., what is visible above the gum line.

Why do I need dental implants?

Often people lose teeth due to accidents (i.e., traumatic events that cause physical damage to a tooth), for natural reasons as they age, especially when poor dental-hygiene habits are involved, tooth decay, infections and the leading cause of missing teeth, gum disease.

When teeth go, almost always so does the tooth root below the tooth’s crown, and even then, an irreversibly damaged crown or a missing crown will necessitate the removal of a root that otherwise might still be intact.

When you lose a tooth, a tooth implant is a convenient and permanent solution; it is less cumbersome than dental bridges or dentures and usually also minimizes the effect on other teeth in your mouth. The artificial, titanium root of a dental implant also provides stable support to the artificial crown and adequately fills in the hole in your jawbone where the natural root once existed.

What is involved in the dental-implant procedure?

Teeth implants are extensive, permanent solutions; therefore, their long-term benefits usually require multiple consultations and procedures in the short term. The Vancouver dental-implant experts at Clear Advantage Dental & Orthodontic Clinic will sit down with you and talk about all of your options, carefully analyze your jaw bone and your teeth structure to make custom recommendations and then select the dental implant that is right for you.

The first stage of the procedure involves the implementation of the titanium-metal tooth implant into the gum line; the gums over the implant are then sealed. After the sealing heals and becomes hardened, we attach a small, special device called an abutment to the dental implant, which will connect the artificial tooth that will appear above the gum line to the artificial tooth root implanted below the gum line. Lastly, we attach the custom-sized artificial tooth and adjust it to your mouth accordingly.

The extent of the procedure, how long it will take and the cost of dental implants can vary greatly from patient to patient. Each person is different and we are here to accommodate your needs. For more information about dental implants in Vancouver, contact us today!