Toluca Lake Dentist Explains How Dental Implants Are Used to Replace Missing Teeth

Written by Dr. McKay on Oct 30, 2012

When you’ve lost a tooth or multiple teeth due to infection or accident, it’s imperative for your dental health and your confidence that you find a suitable replacement tooth option. Today we’re going to be talking about an exciting replacement tooth option—dental implants. Our Toluca Lake dentist office is proud to offer dental implants to our patients, read on to learn how this treatment works.

What Are Dental Implants?


Dental implants are individual replacement teeth that mimic the appearance and function of natural teeth. Here’s how they mimic the function of natural teeth—they’re actually embedded into the jawbone. A titanium screw is implanted into the jawbone—this serves as the tooth root. Then the titanium screw is capped with a natural looking restoration—this is the part of the dental implant that is visible.

Why is the Dental Implant Secured with a Titanium Screw?

This is something that makes dental implants unique—the titanium root of the dental implant actually bonds with the natural bone over time! Through a process called osseointegration, titanium is able to bond with natural bone. So your dental implant root becomes incredibly stable and secure as the titanium and the natural bone fuse.

How Long Does Dental Implant Treatment Take?

Dental implant treatment is a multi-stepped process that takes a couple of months to complete. In the first stage of treatment your titanium root is implanted into the jawbone. The root then needs to heal and bond to the bone before the final restoration is placed on top.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

With proper care and maintenance dental implants can last for over a decade before they need to be replaced!

Our Toluca Lake dental implants dentists have been using dental implants to help patients live with beautiful, healthy smiles even after tooth loss. Give us a call or contact us online for more information!