Dental Implants
If you are missing a single tooth or multiple teeth, dental implants may be just what you have been looking for! A dental implant is a small titanium post which replaces the root of a missing tooth. Once delivered and healed, a dental implant provides a strong foundation upon which a crown or “cap” may be placed. Implants can also be used to anchor complete dentures. Implant supported teeth look, feel, and function just like natural teeth.
Dental implants are extremely safe and have been used in dentistry for nearly 40 years. Modern dental implants have success rates approaching 95% and have a number of other benefits over traditional treatments such as fixed bridges or removable dentures.
With a bridge, your dentist shaves down teeth next to your missing tooth to create space for the restoration. In addition to removing perfectly good tooth structure, shaving teeth down for a bridge may irritate the nerves or increase the risk of decay of the adjacent teeth leading to future root canals or failure of the bridge. With dental implants, the teeth next to the missing tooth are not touched, and since implants are made of titanium they will never decay.
Dental implant replacing a molar tooth
With dentures, stability and staying in place during eating and talking is always a concern. Dental implants can be used to stabilize loose dentures, giving denture wearers confidence to eat and smile again! In some cases implants can eliminate the need for removable dentures all together!
In some situations where a tooth or teeth have been missing for a long time, the bone at the missing tooth site may have melted away, much like an unused muscle will shrink.
In these situations a Ridge Augmentation bone graft procedure or a sinus lift bone graft procedure may be needed to provide enough bone to place the implant. Dr. Paris and Dr. Shumaker carefully evaluate each case and will consult with you about what treatment is necessary for an ideal result for your implant(s).
Multiple dental implants with bone grafting
Dr. Paris and Dr. Shumaker are two of the most experienced and qualified implant surgeons in Northern Colorado. Both Dr Paris and Dr Shumaker are board-certified diplomates of the American Board of Periodontology, a specialty which includes dental implant surgery. Additionally, Dr Shumaker is one of the few Diplomates of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI) in Colorado. ICOI Diplomate status is the highest honor available from this international implant organization and is only provided to clinicians who pass a rigorous oral examination and present over 50 carefully reviewed long term implant cases of increasing levels of difficulty.
Dr. Paris and Dr. Shumaker are proud to place Biomet-3i dental implants. One of the world's largest dental implant manufacturers, the Biomet-3i dental implant system is backed by years of long term clinical studies with an excellent track record of success. For more information visit www.biomet3i.com
For Dental Implants in Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley, your Choice is Clear !!
If you are missing teeth or would simply like more information about dental implants, please call Dr. Paris and Dr. Shumaker's office at 970-207-4061 to schedule a consultation, or ask your general dentist for a referral.