North York Dental Implants

There is now hope for those who have lost one or more teeth due to periodontal disease, trauma or other causes, dental implants provide our patients with a transformational change in their lives. Implants represent a secure foundation to replace the look, feel, and function of natural teeth. Should you have lost teeth; dental implants enable you to regain the ability to eat virtually anything. You will be able to smile with confidence knowing that your new teeth appear natural and your facial contours are preserved.

What are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root typically made of pure titanium that is placed into the jaw to support a replacement tooth or bridge. The current generation of dental implants can be traced back sixty years and today represent’s mainstream dental care.

Dental implants provide the foundation to replace the look, feel, and function entirely like your own teeth. For an individual who has lost teeth, regaining the ability to eat virtually anything, to smile with confidence knowing that your teeth appear natural and the return to a youthful facial contour are priceless. Implants are titanium posts that are placed precisely into the jawbone in those locations where teeth were lost. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes.

Overtime, your bone bonds with the titanium implants creating a solid foundation for artificial teeth. A small post (healing abutment) that protrudes through the gums is then attached to the implant. Dental implants provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth. They also help preserve your facial structures while preventing jaw bone deterioration that would otherwise occur when teeth are lost.

Benefits of Dental Implants

• Conservative Treatment-Tooth Saving: In the past, when a single tooth was lost, the adjacent teeth were ground-whittled down to stumps over top of which, crowns and bridge work were placed. Bridges unfortunately do not last as long as crowns on single teeth. Over the course of a patient’s life, it is typical that replacement-redoing of the bridge will be required several times. Each replacement increases the risk that root canal problems can develop on those whittled down teeth. This can lead to ever more serious issues.
  Dental implants eliminate collateral damage to your adjacent teeth by focusing treatment solely where the tooth or teeth were lost. This conservative approach returns you back as closely as possible, to the state that existed when all your teeth were present and healthy. A dental implant approach means more of your own teeth are left untouched. This represents a significant long term oral health benefit.
• Esthetics: Dental implants have the ability to return your smile back to the look that existed prior to teeth being lost while eliminating a conventional bridge approach. Dental implants provide the function and natural esthetics you enjoyed with your own teeth. Since implants fuse (integrate) with your own bone, they help prevent further bone loss and gum recession that often accompanies bridge work or dentures. Given Dr. Novack’s passion to achieve optimum esthetics, anyone who glances at your smile will likely never know you have a replacement tooth.
• Confidence: Dental implant will enable you to speak, eat, and function with comfort and confidence. Since implants are fused to your bone, they provide you with a life free of from the clicks and wobbles of a denture. Implants will enable you to say goodbye to uncomfortable ill fitting dentures and messy denture pastes.
• Reliability: There is no treatment in health care today that approaches the predictability of dental implants. Success rates close to ninety-seven percent measured over a patient’s lifetime have been reported.

What Type of Prosthesis are Available?

A single prosthesis (dental crown) is used to replace a single missing tooth.

Multiple or a partial fixed prosthesis, represents a permanently attached (fixed) bridge supported by dental implants and is employed to replace many teeth.

A complete dental fixed prosthesis replaces all the teeth in an arch (upper or lower jaw). The number of implants placed varies depending upon the clinical situation, apposing bite and type of prosthetic approach.

A removable prosthetic approach involves implants that support, but do not permanently attach to the prosthesis. Types of attachment include a bar, ball in socket, and locators® that are used to stabilize a removable denture. Both permanent and removable prosthetic approaches have indications and contraindications, Dr. Novack will fully discuss all your options with you.