So, you plan to get dental implants? You’ve made a wise move – these prosthetics are great at restoring smiles. That said, you don’t want to get too ahead of yourself. You should learn the basics about these tooth replacements first. Implant surgery may not go as you’d like otherwise. To start out, let your Downers Grove dentist teach you a few things. Here are four vital dental implant terms you should know before treatment.
Dental Implant
Of course, you should learn what a dental implant actually is. Not doing so will mean going into treatment blind. From there, the procedure results may not turn out well.
Put simply, a dental implant is a small titanium post. It’s placed in your jaw by a dentist to act as a tooth root. Once correctly set, it slowly becomes a permanent part of your mouth. The device then supports a proper dental prosthesis. (This latter object could be a bridge, dental crown, or denture.)
Dental Crown
In most cases, a dental crown is an implant’s final restoration. You’ll want to know about it to ensure your new tooth looks good.
A dental crown is essentially a tiny, tooth-shaped cap. It’s often placed over a damaged tooth to hide and protect decayed areas. However, it can also cover a single implant such that the prosthetic looks natural. That way, others won’t see a metal post – the dental implant will look like any other tooth.
Abutment
Aside from dental crowns, you ought to know about abutments. The latter objects work with the former ones to make dental implants effective.
An abutment is a metal connector used in dentistry. To be specific, it’s something built into or attached to the top of a dental implant. This part keeps the final restoration – a crown, bridge, or denture – in place.
All-on-4 Implants
All-on-4 implants act a lot like regular ones. Still, the fact remains that they have a special role that standard posts don’t.
In reality, All-on-4 implants are those that secure a complete denture. Dentists place them in sets of four at the densest parts of the jawbone. They thus don’t require preliminary services like bone grafts. Instead, the patient can get a full without an extensive wait time.
By learning the phrases above, you’ll grasp most of the dental implant terms you should know. Otherwise, ask your local dentist about other words you ought to consider!
About the Practice
Dentique Dental is based in both Downers Grove and Lemont, IL. Led by Dr. Xhelo Shuaipaj, our practice seeks to give each patient the best possible smile. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental care. Of course, our dental team can also place high-quality dental implants to restore your grin. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (630)-968-8439.