Get Your Smile Back with Dental Implants: The Permanent Solution for Missing Teeth

Dental implants consist of two main parts- the implant itself and the restoration. The implant is the screw-shaped titanium “post” that is placed directly into the jaw bone. The restoration is most often a custom-crafted prosthetic like a dental crown, and an abutment, which links the restoration and the implant together. After your dental implant has been placed, Dr. Mike Tran will create impressions of your teeth and gums, using either putty or digital scans, and send them to a dental lab. There, they will create a dental implant restoration that is made to last. Most restorations are crafted out of porcelain or a durable, natural-looking composite material. Once we receive your restoration, you’ll return to our office in Magnolia where Dr. Mike Tran will secure your dental prosthetic to your implant.

In fact, it is common for patients to keep dental implants for the rest of their lives if they are placed correctly and kept up with good oral hygiene habits. Nevertheless, even though dental crowns and bridges are made of durable materials, they are likely to need to be replaced at some point due to the wear and tear they endure from chewing and biting.

Infection of dental implants is a rare occurrence. The most common cause of an infected implant is not adequate cleaning or care of the implant after oral surgery, a condition known as peri-implantitis. Following Dr. Mike Tran's instructions for recovery, and maintaining good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing, after your dental implant has healed, will help you prevent peri-implantitis.

It's the only dental restoration that does. When your jaw becomes weaker after losing a tooth, bone loss, also known as bone resorption, occurs when your jaw is no longer stimulated by natural forces derived from chewing and biting. When a dental implant bonds directly with the jaw bone, it serves as an artificial root that transmits the pressure of chewing and biting into your jaw bone, providing stimulation to keep your bone from losing density.

During the healing process, you will need to visit Dr. Mike Tran in Magnolia for follow-up visits. Each visit will involve taking impressions of your teeth and gums, which will be sent to our dental lab. The lab will use these images to custom-craft your permanent restoration, a more durable and natural-looking prosthetic than your temporary one.