Dental Implants | Los Angeles Dental Implants
Los Angeles
Dental Implants
Dental implant therapy is a highly successful and modern technique to permanently replace one or more missing teeth. This procedure has been used to restore the natural aesthetics and function for hundreds of our patients from Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Dental implant therapy is a reliable and long-lasting permanent solution to tooth loss.
Dr. David Schlang, Santa Monica dentist provides state of the art dental implants for patients in the Santa Monica, Brentwood and Los Angeles areas.
What is a dental implant?
Dental implants are basically an artificial root and provide an effective means to replace a missing tooth, or provide an anchor point for a permanent denture or bridge. They consist of three different parts:
The Implant: A threaded post made of titanium that directly connects to your jaw and acts as a foundation for your replacement tooth.
An Abutment: Component that attaches to the implant and acts as a connector for the prosthetic crown
Crown: The prosthetic or replacement tooth. It is made of zirconium, porcelain or a similar material and is fabricated to match and fit with your natural teeth.
Why consider a dental implant?
- A dental implant is more conservative than a bridge as the adjacent teeth are not needed for support.
- Dental implants look and feel like natural teeth.
- Dental implants can help to secure and stabilize a denture.
Try Our Smile Simulator
Dental Implant
Procedure Steps
Replacing a Single Tooth
- The first part after removing the damaged or diseased tooth, is to use digital planning techniques to place the implant via guided surgery.
- After the implant has healed to the bone, a custom made abutment is fabricated to allow for seating of a crown.
- Finally, a crown is attached to the implant abutment with cement or possibly with a titanium screw.
Replacing Several Teeth
- Similar to placing one implant, digital planning is used to fabricate a surgical guide in order plan where the implants will be placed as well as designing the bridge before surgery.
- After placing abutments on the implants, the bridge is seated, in some cases the abutment can be part of the bridge.
Replacing All Teeth
- As in single implant placement, when all of the teeth are missing or need removal, digital scans of the mouth and jaws are taken and a full arch surgical guide is made.
- For patients that have adequate bone to place and support multiple implants, a fixed implant bridge can replace a full arch of teeth.
- In some cases, patients may elect to have a removable denture made, which can require as few as two implants being placed for stability.
Minimally Invasive
Dental Implant Therapy
Most dentists and oral surgeons utilize standard x-rays and free-hand the placement of the implant. While this method can be successful, it is impossible to know the exact dimensions of the bone, and if the implant is being placed in the best position possible. Improper placement of the implant can lead to loss of bone around the implant, premature loss of the implant itself, and an undesirable prosthetic result.
Dr Schlang prefers to use a method he calls ‘Minimally Invasive Guided Implant Surgery’. Using this technique allows for the exact pre-planned placement of one or more implants using a surgical implant guide which is fabricated in advance of the surgery.
After completing the computer plan, a surgical guide is generated, and the patient is ready for surgery. By planning the surgery in advance using this method, the surgery itself is faster, patients have less discomfort, and there are few if any complications.
The process for fabricating an implant surgical guide begins with obtaining a dental CT scan, which is then converted into a 3-D computer model of your jaw. Using this computer model of your jaw allows Dr. Schlang to see the anatomy and density of your jawbone, location of nerves, adjacent tooth roots, and virtually place the implant in the computer model. An intra-oral scan is also taken with the CEREC CAD/CAM scanning system, and this data is loaded into the SIDEXIS implant planning software.
Dental Implants
For Long-Term Treatment
Dental implants are often the best alternative to restore a healthy smile and bite function. Bridges and crowns can contribute to bone deterioration and are often difficult to clean. Tooth-supported treatments generally last only 5 to 10 years, but will eventually need to be replaced. Dental implants can restore jawbone integrity, let you enjoy your favorite foods regularly, and are very easy to clean. They just require normal brushing, flossing, and rinsing.
This technology can replace one tooth or multiple teeth. They are often the best permanent solution for people who have failing teeth and other dental problems. Additionally, this type of treatment has a very high success rate for patients. About 98% of implants last for the rest of a patient’s life, where root canals, bridges, and other replacement options typically need to be addressed 5 to 10 years down the road.
Dental Implant services including: CEREC and Smile Makeover.