Dental Implants

Dental implants are the preferred method to permanently replace a lost or missing tooth. Dr. Douglas Harty and Dr. Sherri Wilson have been performing dental implants for nearly 20 years at the Greenwood, Indiana practice. With that level of skill and experience, you can be assured that your restoration will look and function just like a natural tooth, and will last a lifetime with good home care.

For a dental implant, we first place a screw made of titanium into the jawbone to simulate the root of the missing tooth. Titanium is biocompatible; the body accepts it readily with little chance of allergic reaction or rejection.

When it has healed securely into the bone, we attach an abutment. This is a post made of metal that extends from the titanium “root” to the gum line, as an anchor for the crown. To make sure the abutment won’t show through the crown, we’ll create it from tooth-colored material for a front tooth implant.

Then, we take impressions and have a porcelain crown fabricated to replace the missing tooth. The crown is securely bonded to the abutment for a restoration that looks normal, and “chews” just like a natural tooth.

While the procedure takes a little time to complete, our patients are thrilled with the results. The implant is indistinguishable from your other teeth. It looks and feels so natural that you may forget you have an implant! And it will likely last a lifetime, with normal brushing, flossing, and routine check-ups.

In most cases, dental implants eliminate the need for a bridge and crown procedure. Since it is a stand-alone restoration, there is no damage to adjoining teeth. And because we may place a single implant or use this method for a full-mouth restoration, it is a permanent alternative to dentures.

If you’ve lost one or more teeth, schedule a consultation with Dr. Harty or Dr. Wilson to determine if you are a good candidate for a dental implant.