O’Fallon Dental Implant Dentist Provides Glossary of Dental Implant Related Terms
Dental implant treatment has revolutionized the world of restorative dentistry. This treatment can help you regain a whole and healthy smile after tooth loss. Our O’Fallon dentists are here to give you all of the information that you need about restorative dental implants. So, with that in mind, we are using this article to review the meanings of some commonly used dental implant terms.
Dental implant: this term refers to a replacement tooth that has a titanium root that extends into the patient’s jawbone. The titanium root replaces the missing tooth root.
Titanium root: this is the small screw that our dentist implants into the patient’s jawbone. We then build the rest of the dental implant on top of this screw. Titanium roots can also be used to hold full prosthetics in place.
Osseointegration: this is the term we use to describe when your jawbone tissue starts to bond with the titanium implant root. As you would imagine, osseointegration gives your smile and your restoration further stability.
Crown: this is the part of the replacement tooth that sits on top of the gum tissue, and is visible when the patient smiles. Each crowns is crafted to suit the patient’s functional needs and appearance.
Abutment: this piece connects the titanium root and the customized crown or prosthetic. An abutment is designed to hold these two pieces firmly in place, while still allowing enough flexibility so that the replacement tooth does not crack or break under pressure.
Implant-stabilized-denture: by placing just a few titanium roots in strategic spots along the patient’s jawline, our team can permanently ground a full denture in place. The denture will then stay in the patient’s mouth permanently. Many dental patients report increased denture stability and comfort after implant stabilization.
Do you have more questions about dental implants work? Our O’Fallon restorative dentists are here to help you! We look forward to speaking with you.