What is an implant?
A. Dental implants are made from a piece of medical titanium, similar to hip and knee implants, only very small and shaped like a tooth root. They are placed to replace missing teeth, and can be covered with a crown or used to support bridges or dentures. They are a great solution for a single missing tooth, in that you can replace the individual tooth without drilling into the adjacent teeth. Dr. Zimpfer uses NobelBiocare implants, from the company that invented dental implants and continues to be a world leader in dental implant design and use. More information can be found in our links section under NobelBiocare.
Think of an implant as an artificial root that is placed in the bone and under the gums. When the bone joins to the implant, the implant can be restored with a post and a crown or an attachment for a denture or partial denture. One of the major benefits of the implant and its restoration is that it is fixed and not removable by the patient. It also is the closest treatment we have today that can feel like a natural tooth when a tooth is replaced. Other options of replacing a missing tooth are a fixed bridge or a removable partial denture. No treatment in dentistry is 100 per cent guaranteed. Another benefit is that if the implant and restoration should fail in the future, the area involved is localized to the area of the failed implant. The localized area can be treated with a bone graft, if needed, and another implant and restoration placed in that area. If a tooth replacement such as a bridge fails due to loss of a support tooth of the bridge, the involved area is extended if a new b
