Dental Implant Basics

Dental implants can be an effective long-term solution to tooth loss.

Dental implants look, feel and function like your natural teeth. Our patients are able to regain the ability to eat and smile with effortless confidence. Their quality of life is enhanced and improved with the placement of dental implants. Implants offer outstanding long term results, they are aesthetically pleasing and the crowns we place on top of our implants are custom fitted and fabricated with precision.

Dental implants are fabricated from surgical grade titanium and are placed in the bone where you are missing a tooth. Placing an implant replaces the root of the tooth you lost. The implants are bio-compatible and offer strength and durability, as well as the ability to fuse to the bone, through a process called osseo-integration. Your bone is better preserved because the implant integrates with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact. Placing dental implants helps preserve the structure and contour of your face while preventing bone deterioration that naturally occurs when we lose teeth. This creates a strong foundation to support the implant abutment and implant crown, which is the next phase of the implant process.

The benefits are...

• No preparation of adjacent teeth is required
• They can preserve the bone, maintaining the integrity of the facial structure
• They allow for superior long-term aesthetics
• They are the closest replacement possible to natural teeth
• They will restore lost lip support and minimize wrinkles around the mouth
• They eliminate the pain of ill-fitting dentures
• They are long lasting and strong

The three basic components of dental implants are: the “fixture” which is the implant that is surgically placed in the bone, the “abutment” which acts as a connector between the implant or “fixture” and the “final restoration”. The “final restoration” may be a single crown, a bridge, or an implant supported denture. Once the final restoration is attached to the implant, you will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak. Your new dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may even forget you lost a tooth.

After more than 20 years, the vast majority of implants placed in the United States still continue to function at peak performance. Dr. Hodges has placed and restored over 2,000+ implants and he uses his strong scientific background to determine if dental implants are an option for you.

Want to learn more about how dental implants work?

Check out our Before & After photo gallery to learn more!