Dental Implants

Dental implants offer an attractive and functional replacement for missing teeth. At Proud to Smile Dentistry in Bernardsville, New Jersey, Patricia Swaintek-Lamb, DMD, Karima West, RDH, and the team expertly apply dental implants to fill in gaps in your smile. Dental implants look just like your natural teeth and can last a lifetime with good dental hygiene. Find out more about dental implants by making an appointment at Proud to Smile Dentistry. Call today or use the online tool to book.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are a type of restoration that replace missing teeth, including the root. The implant is a titanium post surgically implanted into your jawbone. The post replicates your tooth root, offering a sturdy base for a dental crown that replaces the visible portion of your tooth. 

What are the benefits of a dental implant?

Dental implants can replace one tooth or several teeth as an implant-supported bridge. Implants don’t slip and slide like dentures, offering a sturdy, natural-feeling tooth replacement.  

Dental implants are a good choice because they offer the following:

• Comfortable fit
• Natural appearance
• Cost-effectiveness
• Permanence
• Easy hygiene

Dental implants act like natural teeth, so you don’t have to remove them for cleaning. You can also eat a regular diet without worrying about bite and comfort. 

How do dental implants support jaw health?

Because dental implants are placed into the jawbone, they stimulate bone growth and turnover. Without this stimulation, your facial structure changes and sags. Implants help you maintain bone density and prevent surrounding teeth from shifting into smile gaps. 

Who is a candidate for dental implants?

Before receiving dental implants, you should have good overall and oral health. It’s important for you to be a nonsmoker, as smoking impedes healing. Dental implants are only appropriate for adults.

Dr. Swaintek-Lamb assesses your smile to ensure you have enough dense jawbone to support the implant. She also ensures you have healthy teeth and gums in the area of the implant. 

If you don’t have adequate bone or gum health, Dr. Swaintek-Lamb recommends treatments like a bone graft or gum disease treatment to help you achieve the oral health necessary to support implants. 

What is the dental implant process?

A dental implant requires several visits that occur over the course of a few months. At your first visit, Dr. Swaintek-Lamb numbs the treatment area and places the implant surgically into your jawbone. 

You go home to recover for a few months. During this time, the post fuses to your jawbone to serve as a stable foundation for the dental crown. Once this fusion occurs, you return to the office to have a crown or bridge fitted and placed. 

Call Proud to Smile Dentistry today to set up an appointment. You can also use this website to book a dental implant evaluation online.