Dental Implants Rapid City

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a series of small titanium posts that are used to anchor dental restorations in place, like a dental bridge, crown, or denture, to replace missing teeth without altering surrounding natural ones. The implants themselves are screw-like in shape and made from titanium. They’re designed to be secured beneath the gumline and into the jawbone to replace the missing roots of teeth. Then, after the customized prosthetics have been crafted, they can be permanently attached to the dental implants to restore the smile.

Implants vs. Bridges

In most cases, implant bridges are more ideal than traditional bridges. Statistically, they last longer and are standalone restorations that add to functional support. Dental implants do have limitations; they may not be an option for someone with adverse health issues, including those who take certain medications, or someone with limited bone for proper placement. Lastly, the amount of time it can take to place them can be a limiting factor.

To allow time to adequately heal, proper implant placement following a dental extraction can take as long as nine months before your final restoration is placed. Sometimes implants can be completed more immediately, but it generally takes between nine and 12 months from extraction to final crown placement.

Traditional dental bridges, on the other hand, can be completed in two weeks. The major downfall to bridges is that they are supported by the natural teeth. Many times, after several years, bridges can fail due to loss of a supporting tooth for the bridge. Dr. Anderson will be happy to discuss your options with you.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

• Consultation: Your consultation will be with our skilled implant dentist in Rapid City, Dr. Anderson. Our team will capture diagnostic images of your mouth and facial structure, which Dr. Anderson will review, and we’ll complete a thorough oral evaluation. Based on his findings, Dr. Anderson can help determine whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants.
• Placement: Most of our implants are placed with a surgical guide following digital planning ahead of your appointment. This helps ensure that the implant is placed in the most ideal location for your restoration later on. Implant surgeries following proper planning typically only take about a half hour.
• Healing/Osseointegration: Recovery from implant placement is generally much easier than recovery from tooth extractions. However, it will take between three and six months for the implants to fuse with the jawbone, which must occur before Dr. Anderson and our team can restore the implants.
• Final Restoration: After your dental implants have fused with the jawbone and the abutments have been attached to the top of them, our team will be ready to secure the final restoration and complete your smile.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants come with a number of life-changing benefits, which is what makes them such a popular choice among patients. They have the ability to not only restore the function and appearance of your smile, but also prevent long-term jawbone erosion, which can change your facial shape. They’re also one of the longest-lasting tooth replacement solutions available, with the ability to last for over 35 years with good oral hygiene and professional maintenance.