A Brief Guide to Dental Implant Surgery

Dental implant surgery is the replacement of replacing missing teeth by the process of implanting a metal root into the jaw and topping with a ceramic crown to form a natural looking substitute tooth.

Surgery can take months to complete, but the results of dental implant surgery are worthwhile. The following article will give you a brief insight into what the process involves.

Dental implant surgery is expensive and if your dental plan allows dental implant surgery it may only cover a portion.

A single tooth replacement can cost $1000 or more, a full set of teeth may cost $30,000. It is possible your dentist may offer finance plans to help you spread the cost over a certain length of time. Dental implant surgery may be cost effective in the long run, if regular treatment and appliances would be your alternative.

Dental implant surgery is not an instant fix. There are relatively new techniques allowing an extraction and replacement in one day, but the work is not finished until the bones have fused to the implant several months later and a permanent crown added to the implant. This surgery can only performed in an area of the mouth with suitable bone structure and healthy gums.

Usually, dental implant surgery is performed in stages. If the bone structure is good, a titanium implant is screwed into the jaw. Titanium is used for it’s ability to exist in the body without affecting surrounding tissues and is extremely unlikely to cause any adverse reaction.

The implant is left to heal for 3-6 months until the bone has fused to it. Then, an abutment is added to raise the implant above the gum, a cast made of the area and a ceramic crown made to complete the tooth.

If the bone structure is weak, or there is not enough bone, a bone graft may be required, or the stimulation of natural or synthetic bone growth. This is often needed in the upper jaw, underneath the sinus cavities and will add further time to the whole dental implant surgery process.

If dental implant surgery interests you, talk to your local Davis Island dentist. He will recommend the best type of surgery for you and advise on how long you can expect to wait until you have your new perfect smile.

A consultation with your Davis Island dentist Dr. Powless will tell you if dental implants can benefit you.

Call your South Tampa, dentist Dr. R. Andrew Powless, for all of your dental needs – (813) 251-2314.