Close the Gaps In Your Smile

Dental implants offer an innovative way to replace missing teeth and improve your appearance. Your Arlington, VA, dentist, Dr. Bruce Hanley, helps patients who've lost teeth restore their smiles with dental implants.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants may not resemble your natural tooth roots, but they perform exactly the same function. Implants are small posts made of titanium that are added to your jawbone during a minor oral surgical procedure. After the procedure, these synthetic structures begin to bond your bone over a period of three to six months.

At the end of the bonding process, a lifelike dental crown is added to the top of the implant. The crown restores your appearance and makes chewing easier. Although you won't receive a permanent crown until bonding occurs, you'll receive a temporary crown or bridge after oral surgery and won't have to worry about spending the next several months with a gap in your smile.

Do dental implants work for everyone in Arlington?

As long as your jawbone has finished growing, you can probably benefit from dental implants. Jawbone depth is one of the key considerations when patients are evaluated for implants. Luckily, bone grafts can be added to your jawbone if it isn't deep enough.

If you plan to replace teeth lost due to gum disease, your disease must be successfully treated before you can begin the implant process.

What benefits do dental implants offer?

Titanium implants offer a long-lasting and often permanent solution to tooth loss. Once they're in place, you'll probably never need to replace them. As a result, implants can be a less costly option when you compare their one-time cost to regular replacement of dentures and bridges. (Your crown will need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years if you choose implants.)

Implants also keep your jawbone strong. After tooth loss, bone resorption may occur because your roots no longer exert pressure on your jawbone. Unfortunately, as your jawbone shrinks, your teeth may loosen and even fall out. Dental implants prevent this unfortunate consequence by stimulating your jawbone just as your natural roots once did.

Dental implants fill the gaps in your smile. Call our Arlington, VA, dentist, Dr. Hanley, at (703) 524-7100 to schedule your appointment.