Dental Implants in
Alamogordo, NM
Dental implants are titanium posts that replace lost tooth roots and provide support for dentures, bridges, and crowns. The doctors at Mountain View Dental in Alamogordo, NM, can place and restore implants with no need for referrals. If you have been suffering from a compromised smile, his life-changing treatment can allow you to enunciate with clarity, smile with confidence, and enjoy any foods you choose
Why Replace Missing Teeth?
Missing teeth can take a serious toll on your confidence and your health. This open space will eventually cause surrounding teeth to shift out of alignment. Meanwhile, the absence of tooth roots will prompt the body to begin distributing the bone cells of the jaw elsewhere throughout the body. Eventually, the jaw will shrink and change shape. Dental implants are the only dentistry treatment known to stop these changes after tooth loss.
Dental implants can halt jaw atrophy and provide the stability necessary to enjoy a rare steak or deliver a toast without worrying about your dentures slipping out of place.
A Superior Solution
While a traditional denture or bridge can be used to partially replace lost teeth, these solutions do not replace the tooth root. As a result, these restorations can shift when eating or speaking. And because they cannot stop jaw atrophy, they will likely require ongoing adjustments to maintain a proper fit. However, dental implants can halt jaw atrophy and provide the stability necessary to enjoy a rare steak or deliver a toast without worrying about your dentures slipping out of place.
Types of Dental Implants
We offer two types of dental implants:
Traditional
Traditional dental implants have excellent strength thanks to a diameter of four to five millimeters. They require an uncompromised amount of jawbone tissue for support. If you have waited to replace your teeth, you may require a bone graft to restore the jaw before you can receive traditional implants. Placing these implants requires two surgeries, usually separated by four to six months of healing time in which the implant naturally fuses with the bone tissue.
Mini
Mini dental implants are about half the diameter of traditional implants. Their smaller size can often eliminate the need for a bone graft. Depending on the health of your jawbone, mini implants can often be restored immediately following placement.
Placing Your Dental Implants
During the procedure, you will be provided with sedation for your comfort. All of our doctors can administer oral conscious and nitrous oxide sedation.
To place traditional implants, your doctor will make incisions at the predetermined implant sites and insert the posts. The area will then be sutured closed and will require about four to six months to heal completely. During the healing period, you may be provided with a temporary restoration.
Once your dentist has confirmed that the bone tissue has fused with the implant, you will undergo a second surgery in which the gum tissue is incised and the implant is fitted with an abutment piece that will connect to your restoration. The gums are then sutured in a way that allows the abutment to remain above the gumline. Once the gums have healed – usually after about two weeks – your dentist can begin crafting your restoration.
Mini implant placement usually involves just one surgery in which the implant is inserted into a small pilot hole. The top of the implant remains above the gumline, ready to connect directly to a restoration as soon as your dentist determines it is appropriate.