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Dental Implants services offered in East Lake, Landsbrook, Tarpon Springs, FL
If you have one or more missing teeth, dental implants offer a permanent solution. Implant dentistry is an area of specialty for Courtney Nowicki, DDS, MS, FICOI, and Robert Christ, DMD, FAGD, FICOI, at the Center for Dental Excellence East Lake in Tarpon Springs, Florida. When you’re ready to learn more, consultations can be booked online or by phone.
Why replace missing teeth?
Missing teeth can make it hard to feel confident about your smile. You might find yourself avoiding social interactions or feeling uncomfortable eating or speaking around others. But there are also serious dental health issues to consider when you have missing teeth.
Each of your natural teeth is anchored directly into the underlying bone tissue. When you bite down and chew, you stimulate that tissue, keeping it healthy and strong. When you lose a tooth, you also lose that bone stimulation.
The bone tissue beneath can begin to wear away in a process called resorption. This can weaken the connection between adjacent teeth and bone, causing a cascade of tooth loss.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants can permanently replace one or more missing teeth. Because they are anchored within your bone tissue, once in place — they look and function just like your natural teeth, only they aren’t at risk for decay.
Individual dental implants consist of a post portion that replaces the tooth’s root and a crown portion that replaces the visible parts of the tooth. Some systems use a small connector piece called an abutment to connect the post and crown.
If you need to replace an entire upper or lower arch of teeth, we can offer many options to improve your esthetics and function with as little as 4 implants. Each case is different and we can sit down with you to see what is your best option for replacement.
What can I expect from the dental implant process?
It takes several visits to complete the dental implant procedure, but the results are well worth the wait. During the planning stage, advanced imaging like the iTero® Element 2 intraoral scanner collects data on the specifications of your teeth and bone tissue. Other imaging resources include 3D cone beam scanning technology. We marry these two technologies to produce a surgical guide to direct the exact placement using a Biohorizons guided surgery kit. We do not place implants freehand like most offices.
Once the post is in place, your gums are closed, and a period of healing begins. Once your bone has fused to the implanted post and your custom dental crown and abutment are ready, you return to have them attached to the implant completing the treatment.
Booking a one-on-one consultation at the Center for Dental Excellence East Lake takes just moments online or over the phone.