You may have heard about dental implants before; these replacement teeth are becoming increasingly popular restorative solutions for people suffering from tooth loss. If you aren’t quite sure how dental implant treatments works, our Saint Louis restorative dentists are here to help you. Today we are providing you with a glossary of commonly used terms in the world of dental implant dentistry.
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Dental implant root: this may also be called the titanium root or the titanium screw. This part of the dental implant is the foundation of the replacement tooth. Our team will insert a dental implant root into your jawbone, so that we replace your missing tooth root as well as your missing dental crown.
Restoration or crown: the part of your dental implant that sits above the gum line and looks like a natural tooth, your restoration will be designed to look natural for you. These crowns are designed to hold up to your daily routine.
Abutment: this small piece holds your implant root and your restorative crown together.
Osseointegration: this term refers to the process by which your dental implant root will actually bond to your natural bone tissue. Dental implant roots are crafted from titanium specifically because titanium osseointegrates.
Implant-stabilized-prosthetic: dental implant technology is not only used to create stand-alone replacement teeth; our team can also use dental implant roots to hold other dental prosthetics in place permanently. For example, just a few dental implant roots can ground a full denture in your jawbone.
As always our Saint Louis dental implant dentists are happy to answer any other questions that you may have, and to help you figure out whether dental implants might be appropriate for your smile. Just call our office, or use the Contact Us page on our website in order to submit your question to our team.