The Parts of a Dental Implant

The Parts of a Dental Implant

Does your missing tooth or teeth make your life more difficult than it should be? Are gaps in your teeth affecting how you eat, drink or dental implant partsspeak? If so, dental implants can restore your smile and fill in those gaps. With help from your Glenview, IL dentist at Colonial Dental Group missing teeth are no longer a permanent condition. Dental implants allow you to take your smile to the next level, restore your confidence and get back to a normal, gap-free life.

What are dental implants? 
Missing teeth do more damage than leaving behind a gap. The bone below the gum tissue where the tooth used to be is no longer stimulated, causing bone loss. Bone loss, in turn, causes facial muscles to sag. The teeth around a missing tooth move to compensate for the gap, affecting the bite and making chewing difficult. Dental implants stop bone loss and tooth movement by replacing your missing tooth’s root and the tooth itself. The implant sits in your jawbone where your tooth’s root once was, providing a solid foundation for your replacement tooth.

The Parts of a Dental Implant
To understand how dental implants work, it is important to understand what functions the different parts of the implant have. The implant is made up of three pieces, including:

  • Implant fixture: The fixture is a small post which is implanted into the jawbone and sits below the gum line, replacing the tooth’s root.
  • Implant abutment: The abutment connects the fixture to the dental crown and holds it in place.
  • Dental Crown: The crown replaces the visible portion of your tooth. This provides a functional chewing surface and restores your bite. This allows you to eat, speak and chew normally.

How It Works
The procedure for dental implants takes part during two phases. The first phase involves a consultation with your dentist, making molds of your mouth and implantation of the implant fixture. The fixture integrates into the jawbone over the course of several months. During this time, a dental laboratory creates your dental crown. When integration is successful, phase two of the procedure begins. The abutment is attached to the fixture, which is then attached to the dental crown. After this appointment, the dental implant process is complete and your new teeth are ready to use.

For more information on dental implants, please contact your dentist at Colonial Dental Group in Glenview, IL. Call (847) 729-2233 to schedule your consultation for dental implants today!