The short version
- An implant is anchored in bone. That single fact explains every advantage.
- Nothing is removed at night, and no food is off limits.
- It requires enough bone, healthy gums, surgery and a healing period.
- Dr. Back does not place implants. Cases needing them are referred out.
- Most people asking about implants have a tooth a crown could save.
- Anchored in
- The jawbone
- Removed at night
- No
- Needs surgery
- Yes
- Placed here
- No, referred
An implant replaces a tooth that is gone. A post is placed in the jawbone and a replacement tooth is attached to it, so the replacement is anchored in bone rather than resting on the gum.
That anchoring is the whole difference from dentures, and it explains every point below.
What implants do that dentures do not
They stay put. Nothing is removed at night and nothing needs adhesive. Once fitted, they are part of the mouth.
Eating is normal. Dentures make some foods difficult or uncomfortable. An implant carries bite force through the jaw the way a tooth does, so the range of what you can eat is not restricted.
Speech is unaffected. The most recognizable drawback of dentures is what they do to speech, because of how they sit and how they are held. An implant occupies the space the tooth did and does not interfere with the tongue.
There is no daily routine. No removing, no soaking, no separate cleaning. They are brushed and cleaned between like teeth.
Appearance. Made well, an implant crown is not distinguishable from the teeth around it, which matters most when the missing tooth is at the front.
What an implant requires
- Enough healthy bone to hold the post
- Healthy gums
- A surgical procedure
- A healing period before the final tooth is fitted
That is a real commitment of time compared with the alternatives, and it is why implants are not automatically the right answer even when they are possible.
Bone is the variable people underestimate. It changes around an empty socket once the root is gone, so a gap left for years can mean grafting before an implant is possible at all.
Dr. Back does not place implants
The practice treats the teeth you have. A case that genuinely needs implants is referred to a specialist who does that work daily.
A practice that offers every treatment has a reason to find your case suitable for the ones it offers.
Saying that plainly is more useful than leaving it implied.
Before assuming you need one
Most people who arrive asking about implants have a tooth that can be saved, and saving it is cheaper, faster and less invasive.
A tooth that is cracked, heavily filled or broken down can often be crowned. A tooth that has been through a root canal usually needs a crown rather than replacing. Keeping your own root also maintains the bone around it, which nothing else quite does.
The comparison is in crowns, bridges and implants compared.
What decides it
An examination, with X-rays. Not a photograph and not a price comparison.
Sarasota Smile Design is on Clark Road in Sarasota, an easy drive from Nokomis, Osprey and Venice. Open Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm.
Call 941-927-5411, or see dental crowns.
