Dental Implants

Dental implants have become the standard of care to replace missing teeth and help prevent osteoporosis by preserving the jaw/facial bones. Dental implants are by far, the best method to replace a missing tooth or teeth for the vast majority of patients. This is because dental implants solve problems that traditional methods of tooth replacement (bridges, partials, and dentures) are unable to address. Dental implants are truly changing people’s lives!

The portion of your natural tooth that you see when you look in your mouth is called the “crown.”   Each natural tooth is made up of the crown and either one, two, or three tooth roots.  The tooth root(s) normally sits in the jawbone, below the gum tissue.  

The tooth root(s) allows for the favorable transfer of forces to the bones of the jaws and face, thus helping to preserve those bones.  We like to refer to that as the “Use it or Lose It” principle.    When you lose a tooth, you lose both the crown AND the root structure of that tooth.   Because the tooth root serves as the mechanism for your body to stimulate and preserve the jaw / facial bones in that area, immediately upon removal or loss of the tooth root, you begin to lose bone from your face / jaws and begin to develop osteoporosis. This osteoporosis, or loss of bone mass, is progressive, increases over time, and may have significant consequences. Not only does the appearance of the face change (giving the “old person” look), but the basis of support for your remaining teeth, bridges, dentures, partials, and dental implants progressively decreases over time. While this bone can likely be replaced using the latest bone grafting and reconstruction techniques, the final product is never as perfect as the original.   Prevention is better than Reconstruction!

Simply put, a dental Implant is nothing other than a “Root Replacement.”   It is a titanium “post” which replaces a tooth’s root structure, thereby allowing the favorable transfer of forces to the bones.  In Boulder, Denver, and elsewhere, dental implants are the only method available to replace lost or missing tooth roots.  Thus, dental implants are the only tooth replacement method available to preserve the jaw and facial bones, and help prevent osteoporosis in these areas.  In general, the sooner an implant is placed after the tooth is lost, the more bone loss the dental implant is able to prevent. 

A dental implant itself is placed surgically within the bone.  The process of “restoring” a dental implant is that of building and attaching a tooth or teeth to “hook” onto the implant.  There are many variables involved with surgically placing and restoring dental implants.   Among these are timing of the implant placement relative to loss of the tooth/teeth, bone grafting considerations, types of interim teeth, types of final teeth, anesthesia options, timing of treatment, and costs.  Additional considerations include options for tooth replacement (single tooth vs. implant supported bridges vs. dentures vs. partials), length of time between placement of the implant(s) and receiving the “final teeth,” and of course, costs.

To schedule a consultation appointment, contact us. We perform a detailed review of your medical and dental information, get to know you, your goals, preferences, and financial considerations.  We will then provide you with different treatment options, their advantages, disadvantages, and the exact cost of each option.  We look forward to serving you soon!