Dental Implants
Trust your dental health & smile with Dr. Rami Salloum, Board certified dental implant specialist in Pennsylvania!
Dr. Salloum and his team use the best components (implants and teeth), employs state-of-the art technology and procedures–all under one roof. Our commitment to quality implant care has gained the confidence and earned the trust of many of our patients just like you. At Bright Dental Practice & Implant Center , we treat people, not just teeth (see our testimonials).
Are you an ideal patient for a dental implant?
The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal diseases.
Some implants take two to six months for the bone and implant to bond together to form anchors (osseointegration). During this time, you can wear a removable temporary tooth replacement option over the implant site(s). However, there is now the option of immediate loading, whereby Dr. Salloum places the implant immediately following tooth extraction and attaches a temporary fixed tooth replacement.
Not only does Dr. Rami Salloum has experiences working with other dental professionals, he also has the special knowledge, training and facilities that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own. Depending on your specific condition and the type of implant chosen, Dr. Salloum will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs
WHEN ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS PLACED?
Implants are often placed several months after extraction. At times, an implant may be placed immediately after extraction of a tooth. This may involve a little more risk, but it simplifies the process—you won’t have to wait for another appointment to place the implant. When infection or other problems with the bone are present, immediate implant placement is not the best treatment.
If your tooth has been missing for some time, the adjacent support bone is likely to grow thinner and shrink. This occurs because the root of the natural tooth has to be present to stimulate the bone. As much as one third of your jaw’s thickness can be lost in the year following tooth extraction. If you are missing enough bone, you may benefit from having additional bone grafted into the area. This ensures the implant will be adequately supported when it is placed in the jaw.
Improved quality of life
If you had a choice between a set of removable dentures or permanent teeth replacement that look and feel like your own, which would you choose?
What if the replacement teeth allows you to speak and eat with comfort and confidence, offer you freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures and allows you to say goodbye to misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues?
Dental Implants are growing in popularity and advancing in technology. They are a permanent and effective alternative to dentures.
A dental implant, which looks like a post or cylinder, is an artificial tooth root placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth, bridge or denture in place. While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth saving than traditional bridgework, since they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.
State-of-the art technology
Dr. Salloum is one the few dental implant specialist in the world to use 3D low radiation Cone Beam CT Scans for diagnosis and treatment planning. While it only take less than a minute, the scan supports a much higher level of patient care compare to conventional 2D X-ray films. 3D low radiation Cone Beam CT Scans allow a detailed look at existing teeth, bone, nerves, and tissue.
The 3D Cone Beam CT Scan provides three-dimensional and cross-sectional views that allow Dr. Salloum to:
- Examine the quality and density of the bone that will anchor the dental implant
- Determine the proper treatment approach for each individual patient,
- Determine the precise placement of implants,
- Select the correct type and size of the implants, and
- Avoid the nerves and sinuses.
THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE
The procedure to place a dental implant takes 30 to 60 minutes for one implant and only 2 to 3 hours for multiple implants. The number of appointments and time required, vary from patient to patient. Dr Salloum will bring great precision and attention to the details of your case.
Prior to surgery, you may receive antibiotics and for greater comfort, intravenous sedation or nitrous oxide (laughing gas). These options are discussed with you at your consultation appointment. A local anesthetic will be administered to numb the area where the dental implant will be placed.
When you are comfortable, Dr Salloum makes a small incision in the gum tissue to reveal the bone, creates space using special instruments, and gently inserts the titanium implant. The top of this implant is often visible through the gum. Sometimes it is better in the early stages of healing to have the implant covered by the gum tissue.
1. Inadequate Bone
2. Graft Material Placed
3. Implant Placed
HEALING AFTER DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY
Now the healing begins. The length of time varies from person to person, depending upon the quality and quantity of bone. In some cases, implants may be restored immediately after they are placed. The surgeon will advise you on follow-up care and timing. After the initial phase of healing, the surgeon places an abutment (support post) or a healing cap onto the dental implant during a brief follow-up visit. This allows gum tissue to mature and provides access to the implant.
Occasionally, impressions are made at the time the implant is placed. This enables the crown to be ready when the implants have healed. How long your mouth needs to heal is determined by a variety of factors. Follow-up care (one to four appointments) is usually needed to ensure that your mouth is healing well and to determine when you are ready for the restorative phase of your treatment.
It may be beneficial to perform a soft tissue graft to obtain stronger, more easily cleaned and natural appearing gum tissue in the area around the implant. This process involves moving a small amount of gum tissue from one part of your mouth to the area around the implant. Most often, it is a brief and relatively comfortable procedure.
Whether it’s one tooth or all of your teeth that are being replaced, your dentist will complete the restoration by fitting the replacement tooth (crown) to the dental implant.
HOW MANY IMPLANTS DO I NEED?
Most frequently, one implant per missing tooth is placed. Because many of the larger teeth in the back of your jaws have two or three roots, the most common approach is to replace missing back teeth with larger implants.