Dental Implants
Skilled, State-of-the-Art Dental Implant Treatment
Our primary goal is to help you keep your natural teeth for life, but, if a tooth or teeth are beyond the point of saving, or are already missing, dental implants placed by our experienced doctors are the optimal replacement solution.
As board-certified periodontists, our doctors are specialists in implant placement and know how to make implant treatment efficient, accurate and comfortable.
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into the jawbone, and a crown, dental bridge or denture is attached. Made of biocompatible materials, implants integrate with your jawbone and provide a strong and stable foundation for an artificial tooth or teeth.
Dental implants mimic the look, feel and function of natural teeth so well that people usually can’t tell the difference between their natural teeth and their implant teeth! Implants will improve your quality of life and allow you to eat the foods you want again.
In the illustration above, one tooth has been replaced by a single implant, and three adjacent missing teeth are being replaced using an implant-supported bridge.
Implant Placement Specialists
With over 50 years of combined experience in placing dental implants, River Valley Periodontics & Implant Dentistry has more experience in placing implants than any other practice in the state of Connecticut. Our doctors have successfully handled thousands of implant cases of all sizes and complexities, from replacing a single tooth to an entire arch of teeth. We can even perform complex bone grafting if it is needed for implant stability.
All of our doctors are board-certified periodontists—dental implant and gum treatment specialists. They are highly trained in all aspects of placing implants, including ensuring a healthy and stable oral foundation for implant placement. They also stay current with the latest implant technologies and techniques through continuing education to keep providing their patients with the most comfortable and precise treatment and natural-looking results.
State-of-the-Art Planning for Accuracy and Comfort
Dental implant placement is a precise procedure that requires thorough diagnostics and planning. We use advanced technology to ensure your dental implant treatment is efficient, accurate, minimally invasive and comfortable.
Meticulous Diagnostics With 3D Imaging
We use our cone beam 3D CT scanner to produce a 360-degree X-ray of your jaw, teeth and related structures. The images can be viewed from any angle, and sections can be magnified for a close inspection.
Our CT scanner creates a detailed 3D digital image of your jaw, teeth and gums that can be viewed from any angle.
Our doctors will take the time to explain the full procedure and to answer all your questions.
Our doctors use the images to establish how to best position your implant. They will identify how much bone is available where the implant is to be placed. They will also see the state of your gum tissue and the location of important anatomical structures around the implant site. Using this data, the doctors will determine how the implant can be safely and stably placed, and whether any bone grafting will be needed.
The doctors then use this data in special implant planning software to simulate the implant surgery in advance. In many instances, they manufacture a computer-generated surgical guide that fits over the gums with an access hole indicating to the precise position, angle and depth for implant placement.
High-Tech Bone Grafting
Where there is inadequate bone to properly support an implant, our doctors will graft bone material into the implant site to create the needed stability. They use the latest developments in bone grafting materials and procedures for minimally invasive bone regeneration.
A patient had experienced bone loss so our doctor used Allograft, a bone grafting material, to provide the stability needed for a proper implant placement.
Growth Proteins to Speed Healing and Increase Predictability
When needed, the doctors will add special growth proteins to the tissues at the surgical site. These proteins accelerate healing, reduce swelling and increase the long-term success rate.
Durable, Natural-Looking New Teeth
Our doctors will work closely with your general dentist or restorative dentist to craft the beautiful, strong and long-lasting replacement teeth that attach to the dental implants. If you don’t already have a regular dentist you like, we can recommend one from a network of doctors we know and trust to deliver high-quality prosthetic teeth.
Implant Options for Teeth Replacement
We provide the following options:
- Individual implants to replace single teeth
- Implant-supported bridges to replace multiple adjacent teeth
- Implants to strengthen support for a current denture
- Implants to support a new removable snap-in denture
- Implants to support a new non-removable fixed-in denture
- Teeth-in-a-Day
Learn more about our dental implant options for replacing a full arch of missing teeth here.
Keeping Patients Comfortable
We go to great lengths to ensure our patients are comfortable at all times. Our doctors and staff are known for their friendly chairside manner, as well as their ability to put our patients at ease. We take the time to provide detailed explanations of procedures and answer any questions you may have. We also provide blankets and pillows to keep you comfortable, in addition to offering oral and IV sedation for implant procedures.
Many of our patients report they were surprised by how little discomfort they experienced during and after getting an implant, and that they were able to return to work and regular activities the following day.
Call our closest office or click here to schedule an appointment.
8 Things You Should Know Before Getting Dental Implants
Making an informed decision regarding your dental care and oral health is important. Complete the form below to obtain your FREE copy of our 8 Things You Should Know Before Getting Dental Implants article.
