Dental Implants - the best tooth replacement option

If you have missing teeth or teeth that need to be extracted and replaced, a dental implant might be the right choice for you. No other tooth replacement option creates a better, longer-lasting solution than dental implants. Implants are typically small, screw-shaped titanium posts that replace the roots of missing teeth and are covered by porcelain crowns that look and feel just like your old tooth. If ill-fitting, uncomfortable dentures or a retainer with false teeth aren’t the right choice for you, ask Eagle Point Family Dentistry what we can do to recreate your smile.

Implants help to preserve tooth-supporting bone that naturally deteriorates when a tooth is lost, preventing further problems in the future. As a minor surgical procedure, the post is inserted into the jawbone where the missing tooth once was, and is left to heal for a set period of time before the tooth-like crown is attached. While it heals, the bone fuses to the implant, leading to a 95 percent success rate that corrects even the most severe problems associated with missing teeth.

There are three primary tooth replacement options that Eagle Point Family Dentistry offers: single tooth replacements, multi-tooth replacements, and implant-supported dentures. Depending upon the number of missing teeth, certain implant options will be superior to others:


Single Tooth Replacements

Single-Tooth Replacements have the highest success rate and are the best long- term investment for replacing a single tooth, because single implants will not decay or need root canal treatments—it’s essentially a brand new tooth.  


Multi-Tooth Replacements

Multi-tooth replacements are similar to bridges, and are commonly performed when three or more teeth in a row are missing, which is an advantage over a bridge that connects to a natural tooth because there is no natural tooth to weaken or decay.  This is most often a superior choice to a removable plastic denture or false teeth and returns your chewing function to as close to your original teeth as possible.  


Implant-Supported Dentures (one of our most popular)

Implant-supported dentures will replace entire jawlines along the top or bottom (or both) rows, acting as a more effective denture that will not shift around the mouth or fall out when jaw movement occurs from eating or speaking. Instead, implant- supported dentures will lock into place as an entire row of comfortable, bottom or top jaw connected row of teeth.  These are still removable but will not fall out or become loose as easily as routine dentures, this is one of our most popular options for our denture wearers.


In the case of some patients, mini dental implants (considered to be those less than 3mm in diameter) may be a better option for you than traditional implants (those larger than 3mm in diameter) and Dr. Barsalou and the team at Eagle Point Family Dentistry will help you understand which option is best for you and your needs.

In the case of failed implants, which are somewhat rare, poor oral hygiene and a lack of regular cleanings (which create bacteria that are damaging to implants) are usually the culprits. Clenching or grinding teeth, which occurs in one-in-four people, is another possible reason for implant rejection. Eagle Point Family Dentistry will coach you on proper maintenance and cleaning to ensure that your dental implants have the best chance for long-term survival.