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Dental Implants
Port Angeles, WA
Dental Implants provided by Stephen J. Turella, DMD
in Port Angeles, WA at Turella Oral Surgery
Whether you are missing one tooth or all of them, Dr. Turella, your oral surgeon in Port Angeles, WA has a solution.
You can have missing teeth restored or rebuilt with the surgical placement of a dental implant. Using an implant is different from other restorations because it begins from the jawbone. The end result is a rebuilt tooth that not only looks real, but also functions and feels like a natural tooth. It is better for your bone health and your oral health. Our team at Turella Oral Surgery invite you to learn more about the restoration of missing teeth with the surgical implantation of a dental implant.
What Are Dental Implants?
A common mistake is thinking that a dental implant is a new tooth - it’s not. A dental implant is actually a new root. The basic structure of our teeth includes three main parts, the jawbone, the root, and the tooth. The root is the middle piece that connects the tooth to the bone.
When a tooth is lost, so is the connection to the bone. The jawbone plays a very important role in our oral health. It provides structure to our teeth and our facial shape. All of our bones are amazing - they are constantly rebuilding and being maintained. When the connection to the tooth is lost, the bone is programmed to pull in the resources that are being unused as a way to save resources for other areas. The unused portion of the bone, in this case the jawbone, will then atrophy. As the jawbone shrinks due to lack of use, it will begin to affect the way our face appears, often giving us a look that we have come to think of as an older appearance.
 A dental implant is a titanium or ceramic device that is shaped similarly to a screw. It has a threaded end and a head. The threaded end is sunk into the bone, using technology like the X-guide to assist the surgeon and to be as accurate as possible.
The device is made with threads to greatly increase the surface area that makes contact with the jawbone. As your bone heals, it will grow up and around the threads fusing the bone firmly to the implant. This implant will then serve as a strong post in your jawbone to place a dental appliance. With one or more dental implants we can then secure a dental crown, bridge, or denture for a permanent hold. This is more than a false tooth, it's a rebuilt tooth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Our patients have found the benefits of a dental implant to be far superior over other options. Benefits include:
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Better Oral Health: Missing teeth may cause a patient concern for their look or frustration in chewing, but the effects can be much more. Missing teeth leaves room for neighboring teeth to roam in an uncontrolled manner. This will affect your bite and can even cause issues with your jaw hinge and its ability to open and close properly.
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Better Bone Health: Keeping your jawbone is better for your oral health, your physical look, and your function. We want to help you keep your jawbone healthy. Atrophy occuring in the jawbone can lead to changes in your diet, the health of neighboring teeth, and your facial structure. |
How Are Dental Implants Placed?
At Turella Oral Surgery, the surgical placement of dental implants is typically completed in our office. Most of the work is completed in the planning phase. We will want to evaluate your needs and discuss options more specific to you. Planning may include gaining control of an active bacterial infection, known as gum disease; it may also include removing unhealthy teeth, or completing a bone graft. Ridge augmentation is another treatment we perform to grow new bone following the loss of teeth. The procedure is quick, but the time to grow new bone can take months.
With all of the preparatory work completed, the placement of your implant can be done. We begin with ensuring the comfort of our patients with a local anesthetic and can provide a conscious sedative if needed.
Once comfortable, the tissue is then opened to reveal the bone. We use a specialized dental drill to create a space in the bone. The space we create was pre-determined with precise mapping during your treatment planning. Technology such as the X-guide system assists our oral surgeon with accuracy. With the space created, we then sink the implant into the bone.
The tissue is sutured closed around the implant for healing. The gum tissue will heal within a few days, but the bone healing will take several months. We will check the progress of healing following a period of time. Read more about what to expect after implant placement.
All on 4 Treatment Concept
A full arch dental bridge, including the All-on-4® Treatment Concept, is a specialized implant treatment that utilizes four to six dental implants to permanently secure a denture on a full arch. This procedure generally does not require a bone graft, unlike most other implant procedures, because it uses longer implants that are placed at an angle to reach thicker bone.
The All-on-4® Treatment Concept is a great option for patients who are missing all of their teeth on one or both arches and would like a permanent solution that is non-removable.
Can Dental Implants Support a Full Denture?
Dental implants can also be used to secure dentures while allowing the denture to also be removable. Implant secured dentures include the ball system and the bar system. The ball system allows a patient to snap their denture on and off the implants. The bar system allows the patient to hook and unhook their denture to a bar that is secured with implants. The advantage to an implant secured denture system is the ability to remove the device as needed, which is helpful for patients with various medical or physical ailments.
Can I Get Dental Implants?
Candidacy for dental implants require the patient to be able to heal at a reasonable rate. This means that a majority of our patients are eligible for treatment. Healing times can be affected by certain medications, medical conditions, and in patients who smoke. None of these situations prevent treatment, but we may require some changes to occur before surgery can take place. We are happy to discuss treatment with your personal physician.
Schedule A Consultation Today With Your Oral Surgeon in Port Angeles, WA
Find out more about whether or not dental implants are right for you. If you are in the Port Angeles, WA area, please don’t hesitate to call us at (360) 912-8244 and schedule a visit. |
