Health
Replacing Lost Teeth
Dental Implants
By Dr. Steve Marsh
Missing teeth not only detract from your smile, but they can also make you feel uncomfortable.
If you have lost one or more teeth, you should know about dental implants — a technique for restoring the look and feel of natural teeth. Dental implants are extremely successful and quite popular. They can look and feel just like getting your real teeth back.
From the Root Up
You could say that a dental implant replaces your missing tooth from the root up. The first of the three steps required to replace a lost tooth with a dental implant is getting an artificial “anchor” for your missing tooth’s root.
Tiny titanium fixtures (screws) are placed in your jawbone by a specialist or general dentist. Either local or general anesthesia can be used. Very gentle, low-speed placement protects the bone tissue and promotes healing.
Finishing touches
Three to nine months later, the living bone in your mouth has bonded permanently with the dental implant, and it’s time to go to the next step.
The dentist attaches a post to the dental implant. Finally, a crown, bridge or anchored denture can be attached to the post. This replacement tooth will have been carefully shaped to fit in perfectly with the rest of your teeth.
When done properly by a skilled cosmetic dentist, the result is a totally natural-looking smile with strong teeth that you can be completely comfortable with.
Patients tell us they are able to eat foods they avoided before, and are smiling naturally and speaking more clearly.
Dr. Steve Marsh serves patients throughout greater Cleveland. He does all cosmetic dental procedures, including dental bonding, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, implants, ceramic fillings crowns and bridges, and extreme dental makeovers. Contact him at ClevelandSmiles.com.
