The complete guide to dental implants

Written and clinically reviewed by Dr. Andrew Korcek, DDS, FAGD  ·  Korcek Dental, Minden, Nevada

What an implant actually is

An implant has three parts, and most of the confusion patients have comes from not knowing that. The fixture is the titanium post that goes into the bone and acts as the root. The abutment is the small connector that sits at the gumline. The crown is the visible ceramic tooth on top.

When someone says an implant takes months, they are describing the wait between the fixture and the crown. That gap is not idle time. It is osseointegration, the biological process where bone cells grow directly onto the titanium surface and lock it in place. Rush it and the implant fails. Respect it and you get a tooth that can last the rest of your life.

That fusion is also why implants do something no other option does. A natural tooth root stimulates the jawbone every time you chew. Remove the root and the bone beneath it begins to resorb. An implant restores that stimulation, which is why it is the only replacement that stops bone loss rather than sitting on top of it.

Who is a good candidate

Most adults with a missing tooth are candidates. The exam is what settles it, because the decision turns on things you cannot see in a mirror.

• •Enough bone volume. The longer a tooth has been missing, the more bone has resorbed. This is why waiting is not free.
• •Healthy gums. Active periodontal disease has to be treated first. An implant placed into inflamed tissue is an implant that fails.
• •Controlled general health. Uncontrolled diabetes and active smoking are the two factors most associated with implant failure, because both impair healing.
• •Finished jaw growth. Implants do not move with a growing jaw, so they are not placed in adolescents.

None of these are automatic disqualifications. They are things to find out before you commit, which is the entire purpose of a consultation with a 3D scan.

How the process runs

The whole sequence is handled at our Minden office. Dr. Korcek places the implant and restores it, which means one clinician owns the outcome from the scan to the final bite check. There is no handoff, no second practice, and no drive over the hill.

What the evidence says

Implants are not new. They have more than thirty years of clinical research behind them and roughly a 98 percent ten-year success rate, with about three million placed annually in the United States. That track record is the reason they are considered the standard of care for a single missing tooth rather than an exotic option.

Success in the research sense means the fixture is still in place and functional. It does not mean nothing ever needs attention. Crowns can chip and need replacing, the same way a natural tooth can. The post underneath is the part that is designed to be permanent.