Dental implants, Keep your appealing, healthy smile for life with a modern tooth replacement

Age is not a disease! VanderLaan Family Dentistry in Byron Center, Michigan, appreciates that all patients desire and deserve to keep their natural teeth and best, healthiest smiles. In turn, we treat patients of all ages with preventative care to protect their teeth. And when teeth cannot be preserved through means such as Root Canal Therapy, we move forward with prompt replacement. 

Modern tooth replacement is designed to replicate or “mimic” the appearance and feel of healthy, natural teeth. Furthermore, options like dental implants are made to be strong; just like a natural, healthy tooth, implant-supported teeth can last a lifetime with consistent, good oral hygiene at home and professional services at our office. 

What to expect from implants 

First, it is essential to know that the implant itself is a small piece of biocompatible (tissue-friendly) titanium made specially to replace a tooth’s root. The implant must be precisely and surgically placed in the jawbone to function like a natural, healthy root. The procedure itself is straightforward. Patients often compare it to tooth removal by saying that it was less painful or noticeable than the actual extraction!. That gives you an idea of how well-tolerated and routine this process has become. 

Of course, we can discuss options to keep you most comfortable and relaxed during your surgery. After the implant has been positioned, we will wait until the implant has naturally fused to the surrounding bone.  This is called osseointegration.  Once this healing process is completed, the implant can function like a tooth root – providing a stable foundation for the prosthetic tooth. 

The prosthetic is then attached and connected to the implant. So, your new tooth remains secured in the mouth. Also, since the crown or other prosthetic is connected to the jaw by an implant, the jawbone retains its strength. 

A few carefully placed implants can also support a dental bridge (and replace several missing teeth). They can also replace most or all failing or missing teeth in the upper or lower jaw. Partial dentures or “overdentures” (full implant-retained dentures) can snap into the implants with different types of attachments. We can even “retrofit” existing dentures to enhance stability and overall patient comfort. 

Restore your proud, confident, healthy smile today. Call (616) 288-2554 to schedule an appointment at VanderLaan Family Dentistry in Byron Center today. Be sure to ask about our in-house VFD savings program when you call!