Seattle Dental Implants

Benefits of Dental Implants

Given that you are healthy and committed to good oral hygiene, dental implants can be a good option for tooth replacement. Dental implant surgery generally happens in two sessions. During the first surgery, we will place the implants in your jawbone. After this, your jawbone and the implants will undergo a process called osteointegration wherein the implant will fuse to your jawbone. Once fully healed, Dr. Choi and Dr. An will attach abutments to the implants, which serve as anchors for the replacement tooth.

Dental implants don’t just replace a missing tooth. They have many other benefits as well, including the ability to:

• Dental implants are designed to look and feel like a natural tooth
• Since the dental implant fuses with your bone, the discomfort of dentures is not a problem.
• Dental Implants prevent further bone loss
• Unlike bridges and dentures, dental implants are permanent and more stable
• Last the rest of your lifetime, with a 95-98% success rate
• Improve your smile, your self-esteem, and your self-confidence

During an initial appointment, we will work closely with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to ensure that you get the care you deserve. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you have about the surgery and the recovery time during your appointment. Our Seattle and Seattle dental implant specialists successfully make you feel at ease about your procedure.

If you need replacement teeth, we invite you to learn more about dental implants at a complimentary consultation. Our doctors will be happy to answer your questions and explain your options. Seattle Cornerstone Dental is qualified to offer dental implant restorations to replace single teeth and to secure dentures, partials, and bridges.

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made out of titanium that replaces the root-part of a missing tooth. The surgical procedure used to place an implant is quite minor and routine, requiring only local anesthesia in most cases. The implant is then topped with a lifelike crown custom-made to match your existing natural teeth. Dental implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, which is significantly higher than any other tooth-replacement option.

How do dental implants work?

During a minor surgical procedure, your dental implant is placed under the gum in the space vacated by the missing tooth. It will then be left to heal for a period of months before the final crown is attached. During this healing period, the implant actually fuses to the bone surrounding it. There are certain situations where the implant or implants can have a tooth or teeth placed at the same time that the implant placement surgery is performed.

Types of Seattle Dental Implants

Implants can replace missing teeth in a variety of ways. Dental Implants can be:

Single Tooth Implants — When you have one tooth missing, a single dental implant is inserted into the bone to replace the root part of that tooth; a crown then goes on top to simulate an actual tooth. This treatment choice has the highest success rate, making it the best long-term investment for replacing a single missing tooth. Even if the initial cost is slightly higher than other options, it is the most cost-effective solution over time. An implant will never decay or need root canal treatment and feels just like the tooth that was there.

Multiple Teeth Implants — When you have more than one tooth missing, dental implants provide an ideal replacement mechanism. You don’t even need one implant for every missing tooth. Instead, implant teeth can act as supports for fixed bridgework. For example, if you are missing three teeth in a row, we can place two implants, one on either side of the gap, and a crown in between that has no implant underneath. That way, you won’t need to use any of your remaining natural teeth as bridge supports, which could weaken them and make them more susceptible to decay.

Replace all Teeth — Dental Implants can support an entire arch of upper or lower replacement teeth that are fixed into the mouth and are permanent. Sometimes the new teeth can be supported by as few as four implants. It’s comparable to the structure of a table, which only needs four legs to hold it up. In cases where jawbone density and volume have deteriorated, 5 or 6 implants might be required to support a row of 10 to 12 teeth. Dental implant replacement teeth protect your jawbone, won’t slip, and should last a lifetime.

Support Removable Dentures — Dental Implants can even make removable dentures more comfortable, practical and healthier to wear. Traditional dentures rest on the gums and put pressure on the underlying bone. Dentures accelerate bone loss so that the jaw shrinks and the dentures slip, particularly on the bottom. But today we can attach a removable denture onto implants, transferring that pressure into the bone structure rather than the bone surface. This prevents the dentures from slipping while you eat and speak, and preserves the bone directly beneath them.