Missing teeth place your mouth at a higher risk for poor oral and periodontal health. The gaps left behind foster bacterial growth and infection. And the spaces in your smile can make you feel less than confident when speaking, smiling, and laughing. Deciding to replace these missing teeth will usher in a new and satisfying period of your life.
We provide our patients with dental restorations both above and below the gum line. Rather than merely replacing the crown portion of the tooth, we replace the tooth root to provide a safeguard against bone loss and a stable foundation for accompanying restorations. This is accomplished with dental implants.
Dental Implants
Implants are titanium posts that screw into the jawbone. Over time, the titanium will actually bond with the bone (through a process known as osseointegration) to create an organic connection between implant and jaw. This connection allows the implant to both function and feel similar to a natural tooth root.
Mini Tooth Implants
Not content to offer anything less than ideal treatment to our patients, Dr. Sierra has made mini dental implants available at our practice. Mini implants are less than 3mm in diameter, and can be placed without as involved a surgery as standard implants. While not appropriate for every tooth, mini implants carry an extensive range of advantages:
- Less expensive procedure
- Flawless, minimally invasive surgery
- Shorter healing period and downtime
- Abutment is built into the implant for ease of restoration placement
- Implants may be placed in areas lacking sufficient bone density for a standard implant
The mini implant accomplishes these feats while maintaining a success rate comparable to that of standard implants. While mini implants are best when used to replace front teeth, multiple mini implants may be placed to support a molar. Mini implants are ideal foundations for dentures; they prevent dentures from slipping or feeling loose, and make them feel more like natural teeth. Talk to our staff to learn about whether mini dental implants could be the restoration for you!
