Restore Your Smile and Oral Health
Your smile is the first thing others notice about you—a great smile imbues you with confidence, peace of mind, and a more youthful profile. Dental implants replace missing teeth to restore your full and healthy smile. Unlike dentures or dental crowns, a dental implant replaces the root as well as the visible portion of your tooth, providing a longer-lasting and more robust solution for missing teeth. In fact, dental implants are quickly becoming the gold standard in tooth replacement technology. If you’d like more information about the dental implant procedure and the cost of dental implants in Seattle, contact Valley Dental Group today for a personalized consultation at our walk-in dental practice.
Parts of a Dental Implant
A dental implant has three parts. These parts combine to replace the entire structure of a missing tooth, from root to crown.
- The implant post, sometimes simply called a dental implant, is a small screw made of titanium. The post is placed into the bone of your jaw during a short surgical procedure. After placement, the dental implant site is allowed to heal; during this time, the implant post undergoes osseointegration as the cells of your jaw bone attach to the implant to keep it securely in place.
- The abutment serves as an attachment point between the dental implant post and the dental crown that will replace the visible portion of your tooth. In some cases, the abutment is placed at the same time as the dental implant; other times, you will need to return to the office for a short procedure in which the abutment is attached to the top of the dental implant post. In this case, you’ll need an additional one to two weeks of healing prior to crown placement.
- The visible portion of your dental implant is the crown, which looks just like your natural tooth. Crowns are typically made from porcelain or porcelain fused with metal for a realistic and long-lasting appearance.
Types of Dental Implants
Dental implants are a versatile tooth replacement option that can replace part or all of your smile. Call Valley Dental Group today to learn more about your options for dental implants, dental crowns, and porcelain veneers in Seattle.
- Endosteal dental implants are surgically implanted into the bone of your jaw. These implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, support a dental bridge, or provide an attachment point for a removable denture device.
- Subperiosteal dental implants are placed on the top of the jaw; these dental implants use a metal framework that sits atop the jaw bone to support a permanent denture.
Our dentists, Dr. Luke St Marie and Dr. Christine Chen, will work with you to create a plan for restoring your smile, and then they will refer you to an oral surgeon. For more information, contact the Renton, Washington, clinic of Valley Dental Group at 425-271-1727.
