Implants are replacements for a natural tooth’s root. Implants are small titanium posts that are placed into the bone socket where teeth are missing. The implant is later covered with a replacement tooth called a crown.
An implant is placed into the bone of the mandible or maxilla where a tooth had previously resided. As the bone heals, it anchors the implant securely in place. This healing process can take from six to twelve weeks.
Once the implant has integrated into the bone, a small connector post – called an abutment – is attached to the implant to support the new tooth. The tooth, called a crown, is then cemented to the abutment. Because the implant is secured within the jawbone, the replacement teeth look, and function, in a similar fashion as natural teeth.
The procedure of placing the implant is done by one of the talented specialists in the Portland region. Dr. Boudreau will then be responsible for placing the crown and abutment on the implant.