Dr. Ira Goldberg is a dentist in Succasunna, NJ, and has a lot of experience helping patients replace their missing teeth with dental implants. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, Diplomat of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and a Fellow of the American Association of Implant Dentistry.
His skill for implants is so extensive that he teaches other dentists about them. Patients who have lost their teeth and want to learn more about dental implants are encouraged to schedule a consultation with Dr. Goldberg.
3 Parts of a Dental Implant Restoration
Dental implants are small titanium cylinders that replace the roots of teeth. Think of them as anchors for your new teeth. They come in various widths and lengths and are selected based on the job they are being asked to do.
Some terminology confusion exists regarding the word “implant.” To understand this better, let’s first explain some of the components. The components include:
- “implant” or “fixture”
- abutment
- “crown” or “cap”
The “implant” or “fixture” is described in the first paragraph below: this is the anchor that is placed into your jawbone.
The “crown” or “cap” is the tooth that you see when you look inside your mouth.
The abutment is a component that connects your “implant” or “fixture” to your “crown” or “cap.” You do not see the abutment, but it is a very important component of the system.
Implant Post
A dental implant is a screw-like post that is surgically placed in the jaw bone to support a dental prosthesis. They are typically made of titanium, a metal that is well accepted by the body but is also available in other materials. Dental implants are very light in weight but extremely durable. Once implanted, they will fuse with the surrounding jaw bone during a process called osseointegration.
Dental implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A standard implant has a diameter of about 3.4 mm to 4.2 mm. A wide platform implant ranges from 4.5 mm to 6 mm in diameter. There are also mini implant posts that are about 2 mm to 3.5 mm in diameter. The type of implant used will depend on your bone availability and spacing.
Dental implants can be placed in one or two stages. A one-stage implant involves surgical implantation with a healing cap (called a healing abutment) being immediately placed. A two-stage implant involves the implant being placed and the incision is closed up. To place the abutment, a second minor surgery will be required.
Abutment
The purpose of the abutment is to sit right at the gum line and help support a dental prosthesis. This small connector piece is made of metal. With a two-stage implant, it is attached to an implant after it has fully fused with the jawbone. Dr. Goldberg will perform minor surgery at his Succasunna, NJ dentist office to uncover the implant and secure the abutment to the implant with a small abutment screw or it will be cemented in place.
Sometimes a healing abutment is placed immediately after the implants are placed (one-stage implant). In this case, a second surgery is not necessary. Dr. Goldberg will simply remove the healing abutment and replace it with the permanent one.
Prosthesis
The prosthesis is basically just the fake teeth. It will look, feel and function just like natural teeth. The type of prosthesis Dr. Goldberg places depends on how many teeth you are missing and where they are located. A single missing tooth will be replaced by an implant-supported dental crown. Multiple consecutive missing teeth will be replaced by an implant-supported dental bridge.
If you are missing a few teeth on an arch but still have remaining natural teeth, Dr. Goldberg will fill in the gaps with a partial denture that is held in place with several dental implants. For patients missing all of their teeth (either on the top or bottom jaw or both), he will use the full jaw dental implant solution. Here, Dr. Goldberg may use two to six implants to secure the denture.
- Implant Dentistry
- Benefits of Dental Implants
- Single Dental Implants
- All-on-4 Dental Implants
- Dental Implants vs Dentures
- Dental Implant FAQ
- Dental Implant Process
- Dental Implant Cost
