Dental Implant Supported Tooth Replacement 

For years, replacing missing teeth simply meant restoring the parts of the smile visible above the gum line. Dental implants have changed the way we replace teeth by allowing us to renew lost tooth structure from the roots up. If you’ve lost a single tooth or a complete row of teeth, the Access Dental team in Austin, Texas may be able to restore your smile to full, natural function with implant supported tooth replacement. Contact us at one of four convenient Austin office locations on Rundberg Lane, William Cannon Drive, East 7th Street, and Ed Bluestein. We’ll schedule a tooth replacement consultation to evaluate your smile, review your restoration options, and help you find the right solution to meet your unique oral health care needs.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are posts inserted below the gum lines to mimic the natural function of tooth roots. In most cases, we craft dental implants from titanium, but implant posts can be crafted from a variety of materials, including zirconia. In addition to recreating the natural function of your smile for improved stability, dental implants also stimulate the supportive structures of your teeth to maintain healthy jawbone density and gum tissue volume.

How are Dental Implants Placed?

Dental implants are placed in two phases. The first phase of treatment is the surgical positioning of the implant posts below the gum line. We make a small incision in the soft tissue. Then, the implant is placed. A protective cap is attached to the top of the implant to protect the post as it fuses with the supportive structures. This process will take between three and six months. Once the implants fuse with the supportive tissues, you’ll return to our office for the second phase of treatment where we’ll design and place your permanent replacement tooth or teeth. Many Austin patients receive a temporary restoration until their final implant retained prosthetic is crafted, but these final replacement teeth will be permanently fixed to your implant posts.

How Many Dental Implants do I Need?

The number of dental implants you need will depend largely on the number of teeth you’re replacing. Typically, we recommend the following:

• One implant – to replace one tooth or two consecutive teeth, we can often attach a crown or two connected crowns to a single dental implant post.
• Two implants – for several consecutive missing teeth, we can use an implant to support each end of a fixed bridge restoration. For very small partial dentures, we may also be able to support the prosthetic with just two implants.
• Three or more implants – most partial and full dentures will need to be supported with three to six dental implant posts. In rare cases, we may need to place more than six implant posts.

How Long will my Dental Implants Last?

Your dental implant supported restoration is built to last. Because implant retained prosthetics closely mimic the natural form and function of the smile, patients can keep these replacement teeth for a decade or longer with proper care. In fact, most patients retain their natural looking, feeling, and functioning implant supported restoration for the rest of their lifetime.