If you're considering dental implants you may be wondering exactly what dental implants consist of? Here, our Delta dentist explains what the parts of a dental implant are.
The Implant
The implant itself is a tiny titanium screw that is placed in the jaw where the root of the missing tooth originally was.
The implant forms a stable base to which an artificial tooth can be attached.
The Abutment
Once the implant has had time to heal the next stage of the dental implant process can begin.
Now a titanium or ceramic abutment can be attached to the dental implant. The abutment is a small connector that secures an artificial tooth to the dental implant.
The Restoration
The restoration is the natural looking tooth replacement that you will see.
Once the dental implant and the abutment are firmly in place, a crown, bridge or denture can be fitted to the abutment.
Crown
A dental crown is used when a single tooth is being replaced. It is an imitation tooth that has been created to blend in with your surrounding teeth.
Dental crowns are screwed or cemented onto the abutment to create a natural looking tooth replacement.
Bridge
For patients who are replacing two or more teeth in a row, a bridge may be used. A dental bridge can replace several teeth with just two implants on either side, to hold the bridge in place.
Denture
An implant supported denture can be used if all of the teeth in the jaw are being replaced.
Conventional dentures rest on the gums and are held in place by natural suction, but implant supported dentures are secured in place with dental implants.