Dental Implants are Comfortable and Natural Looking
Our goal is to provide all of our patients with helpful information about their dental implant options and how it promotes better oral care. If you are in the Vancouver communities of Kitsilano, Point Grey or UBC, contact us today to book your appointment or fill out the appointment request form.
We have provided quick overview on dental implants and the surgical procedure. Patients can also find great resources through the BC Dental Association and the Canadian Dental Association.
Solutions for Missing Teeth
The best option available for replacing a missing tooth is to see if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Patients can use bridges, partials or complete dentures as an alternative, but dental implants are the ideal solution for a missing tooth because it stops bone loss and enhances the health of the surround teeth and gum. Furthermore, an implant looks and feels just like your natural tooth with the advantage of a long life span with routine dental check ups and daily care.
What are dental implants?
A dental implant is an artificial root made of titanium metal. It is inserted into the jawbone to replace the root of the natural tooth. An artificial replacement tooth is attached to the implant. The implant acts as an anchor to hold the replacement tooth in place.
Who does this procedure?
At Alma Dental Centre, either Dr Sandeep Sidhu, or Dr. Michael Leclair will take patients through the major components of oral surgery. Our first priority to is to identify that the patient is a good candidate for the procedure and to outline the treatment process from start to finish, including post operative care and recovery.
Who can get dental implants?
In most circumstances, if a patient has healthy gums and enough bone in the jaw to hold an implant, the procedure should be a success. If a patients jawbone is inadequate or under-developed, a bone graft may be done to build up the jawbone.
What is the cost of a dental implant?
Most patients require their own individual treatment plan, based on the condition of their jaw and gums. In many instances however, the average cost of a single implant is just over $4,000.
The dental implant procedure step-by-step?
- Examination: We carefully study the area where the teeth are missing and take x-rays of your head, jaw and teeth to find out if dental implants are right for you.
- Part One of Surgery: We place the implant(s) into your jawbone beneath the gum tissue. The gum tissue is then stitched back into place. As the tissue heals, the implant will bond with the bone and attach to the gum. It can take several months to heal.
- Part Two of Surgery: Once the surgical site has healed, we attach an abutment to the implant, which is a post that connects the replacement tooth to the implant. In some instances, we will attach the abutment at the time of the first surgery.
- Artificial Tooth Placement: This is the time where we place the artificial tooth to the abutment. It may take more than one appointment to properly fit the tooth.
- Dental Bridge: When replacing several teeth or all of your teeth, a fixed bridge is anchored to your dental implants. A bridge is a dental restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth by spanning an area that has no teeth. The bridge is held firmly in place by dental implants on each side of the missing tooth or teeth.
If you are wondering if you are a good candidate for dental implants or are wanting to learn your options for replacing missing teeth, please contact us to schedule an appointment.