Dental Implants

If you have missing teeth, dental implants can restore your ability to chew, speak, and smile comfortably. At Select Dental & Orthodontics in Torrance, California, the highly skilled team plans and surgically places dental implants with expert precision and care to help you maintain a healthy, functional smile. Call or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about dental implants.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts that replace your natural tooth roots. The implants hold your replacement teeth firmly in place, so they look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth, allowing you to chew and speak without complications. 

Since dental implants fuse to your jawbone, they don’t require any special care. You can continue your normal oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants secure your replacement teeth and stimulate the underlying bone. The roots that support your teeth eventually dissolve when you lose a permanent tooth. This process can lead to bone resorption, a process in which your tooth-supporting tissues break down. 

Without healthy bone, you’re at risk for additional tooth loss, facial sagging, and other functional and cosmetic concerns.

By replacing your tooth roots, dental implants keep your replacement teeth in place and prevent new bone loss.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants offer several advantages compared to other types of replacement teeth, like single crowns or bridges. Benefits of dental implants include:

• Appearance
• Stability
• Improved oral hygiene
• Durability

Dental implants can last for decades, even for a lifetime, with proper care*. In contrast, dentures typically need replacement about every 10 years.

What is the process like for getting dental implants?

Dental implants take several months to plan and place. Advanced digital imaging, such as X-rays and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), ensures a comfortable process and securely-fitting implants.

You must have an adequate amount of healthy bone tissue in your jaw to support dental implants. If you don’t have enough, the team may recommend a bone graft before implant surgery. Healing can take 4-6 months after a bone graft.

Once you’re ready for implant surgery, the team administers anesthesia, places your implants into your jawbone through your gums, and sutures your incisions. You can expect the healing process to take up to 12 weeks.

After your swelling subsides and your mouth heals completely, the team takes digital impressions to create your replacement teeth. Single implants typically require dental crowns, while full mouth restorations pair well with dentures. At your final visit, the team connects your replacement teeth to your implants, fully restoring your smile.

Call Select Dental & Orthodontics today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about dental implants.

*Individual results may vary