Dental implants Los Angeles are needed when the patient has teeth that are cracked, chipped, missing, discolored or decayed to the point where they can’t be saved.
Dental implants are artificial teeth made to replace real ones. The crowns of the best dental implants match the teeth of the patient so precisely, that only the patient and their dentist know that the tooth is artificial. These implants have crowns made of metal, but other dental implants can be made entirely of metal or porcelain over metal. Implants with metal crowns are most often used on molars because they can’t be seen easily. Porcelain is not only life-like but is very hard and long-lasting.
The Procedure
Getting affordable dental implants in Granada Hills takes a few steps. First, the dentist makes sure that the patient is a good candidate for the dental implant. They take an X-ray of the patient’s mouth and their affected tooth. This tells the dentist if the patient has enough bone tissue in their jaw to hold an implant. Sometimes, if there’s not enough bone, bone is grafted from another part of the patient’s body and given to the jaw. Because it’s from the patient’s body, there’s no chance of rejection.
If an implant is agreed upon, the dentist takes out the tooth and installs a post in the patient’s jaw. This post is made out of titanium or zirconium. The dentist covers the post with the gum tissue, and both patient and dentist wait until the post fuses with the bone in the jaw. Posts have spirals to make it easier for the bone to adhere, and others are honeycombed to make the process even quicker and easier.
If the implant is being placed in the front of the mouth, the dentist Granada Hills may give the patient a temporary implant.
While the post and the bone are fusing, a dental lab makes an artificial crown. The patient also needs to take special care of their teeth and mouth during this time. They’ll return to the dentist once or twice to make sure that all is well.
Finally, when the post and the jawbone are fused, the dentist opens the gum and installs an anchor, or abutment on the post. After the gum has had time to heal, the crown is put on the anchor.
Sometimes, if a patient does not want to wait, the dentist installs the post, the anchor and the crown at the same time during a procedure called immediate loading. The post and bone still must fuse, however.