Dental implants have been used in dentistry for over 25 years. In the past ten years alone over 1 million dental implants have been successfully placed in patients mouths in the United States. Dr. LaFrom in Cupertino has been restoring dental implants for the past 20 years. We have provided this section for our patients and friends so they can learn more about the benefits, applications and options available for dental implants.

What are DENTAL Implants? Dental implants, simply put, are replacements for missing roots. Most implants are typically titanium posts that are imbedded into the jawbone and then either a metal base with plastic or porcelain teeth are placed over the portion of the implant that sticks out of the gums. They usually take several months to complete since the bone must fuse to the posts before any kind of pressure can be put on the implant itself.

How would I know if I'm a candidate forDENTAL Implants? Dental implants are not for everybody. Typically, we don't place tehm on young children because their jaws are still growing and changing shapes. Patients with diabetes and who are heavy smokers are typically candidates that might need to take exra measures before considering implants. It is critical that you have the proper thickness and height of bone in order to place the implant. In other words, if you have a narrow ridge that is short and narrower, an oral surgeon may have to do some preparatory work prior to being able to place an implant. While there are 'mini' implants available, those have limited usage if you are missing one large tooth. Technology has advanced tremendously and the healing and difficulty level of preparing the bone when there is a shortage of bone available has gotten to the point that if the patient is willing to wait a few more months to allow specific procedures such as grafting or sinus lift or bone augmentation are done, then they might be a candidate. Bone tends to regrow faster in younger people and therefore, even though a patient has a tooth with a periodontal pocket around it and the patient wants to hang on to it as long as possible, it might make sense to remove it and place the implant while there is still bone available to support the implant. If you wait too long, sometimes the periodontal disease will 'eat away' the bone and not leave much left to support an implant.

What are the advantages of DENTAL Implants? Dental implants allow a patient to have a sturdy base to put teeth on, when the only other option is a bridge, or a partial denture. A bridge requires that the adjacent teeth be drilled down to allow a crown to fit on top of them to support a connector between two teeth where the middle tooth is missing. If the two adjacent teeth both either already have crowns or need crowns, then this is not as big of an advantage from that perspective. However, the average lifespan of a bridge is less than a single crown because if either of the two supporting crowns get new decay under them then the entire bridge usually needs to be replaced. Because the bridge is a little more difficult to clean under, it often will trap plaque and be more at risk than a single crown would be to decay. An implant fixture is made of titanium and the crown that sits on top of it is usually made of gold or porcelain, there is no tooth interface that can decay. Therefore, from a long term cost point of view, the implants are considered to be a one time investment, whereas, the patient can look forward to replacing the bridge in 8-20 years depending upon the location, the length of it and how well they take care of it.

What are the disadvantages of DENTAL Implants? Dental implants require several visits over the period of several months to complete. Although newer techniques are allowing us to restore teeth in fewer visits than before, and sometimes within only a few visits, it does require more precision and patience.

Can DENTAL Implants be put under a partial denture? Absolutely, in fact, many times several implants in the jaw allow for a person to have a very stable partial denture or full denture, when they couldn't have one before.

How much are DENTAL Implants? Dental implants consist of several parts to consider when comparing fees. The fee could vary from area to area and from brand to brand, and whether or not a surgical stent to assist the surgeon is made and whether a temporary 'flipper' to keep the space intact or for esthetics, while the tissue is healing around the implant. In addition, special x-rays may be needed to assist in determining the position and depth of the implants that can be placed, along with a specialist consutlation fee and anesthesia. If a patient needs an extraction prior to the extraction and bone augmentation done in the area prior to being able to place theimplant, that can also affect the fee. In the most basic stages, there is fisture which goes into the bone, an abutment that is placed on top of the implant when it heals, and then a crown or framework that fits on top of that to support the new teeth. When a fee is quoted for an IMPLANT, you need to ask what is included. In a difficult location, it might be necessary to use a custom abutment due to an angulation challenge with either a tight bite or jaws that don't line up well, and we need to have the lab create a special connector rather than being able to use a stock abutment. this can add a couple hundred dollars to the fee. Also, many specialists will do a 'perio test' where they use a specific instrument to test the stability of the implant prior to loading it up with a tooth on top of it. Added together, the implants could run as little as $2,800 up to $5,000 per site to complete. In addition, if you have more than one done at a time, then the fee to anesthesia is a one time fee, along with the xray, consult and surgical stent. The type of material used to restore the teeth can also vary considerably, depending upon whether it is a single tooth with a porcelain core, or metal core, and whether it is a partial denture with a precision attachment or it sits independently on the tissue. These can all be discussed with your dentist in advance.