Gig Harbor Single Implant Crowns and Implant-Supported Bridges
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a replacement tooth built in three parts. A small post takes the place of the missing root and sits in your jawbone. An abutment — a connector — attaches to the post. A custom crown goes on top, shaped and shaded to sit in with the teeth around it.
Because the implant stands on its own root, the healthy teeth on either side are left alone. Nothing gets filed down to hold it in place. Implant work is one of our areas of expertise.
Who is a candidate for implants?
Most adults missing one tooth, several teeth, or a whole arch can be considered for a dental implant. Two things matter most: enough healthy bone to hold the post, and gums with no active infection.
- Gum disease is treated first — a post set into inflamed tissue has a poor foundation, so periodontal therapy comes before implant planning.
- Heavy grinding loads an implant crown the same way it loads a natural tooth, so a night guard may become part of the plan.
- Smoking and uncontrolled diabetes can slow healing — say so up front, so your timeline is realistic.
- Bone loss where a tooth has been missing a while does not rule you out — it usually means grafting first.
How long does a dental implant take?
Plan on months rather than weeks, because the bone has to grow around the post before the crown can go on. Most of that time is healing rather than chair time, and it varies from person to person. The stages are:
- Planning. An exam and digital X-rays show how much bone is there and where the nerve and sinus sit.
- Extraction, if the tooth is still in place. The socket is often preserved with graft material at that same visit.
- Placement. The post is set into the bone. If appointment nerves are a factor, ask about nitrous oxide.
- Healing. Bone grows around and locks onto the post.
- The crown. Impressions or digital scans capture the site, and the finished crown is fitted onto the abutment.
The surgical stage is, and the crown work is done at our Gig Harbor office.
Why bone grafting sometimes comes first
Bone shrinks where a tooth used to be. If the ridge left behind is too thin or short to hold a post, grafting rebuilds it, that heals, then the implant goes in. When a tooth is coming out and an implant is already the plan, the socket can be grafted at the extraction visit, so less bone is lost to begin with. See extraction, preservation and bone grafting.
Implant, bridge, or denture?
An implant is not automatically the right answer. The honest comparison:
- Implant. Fills the gap without touching the neighboring teeth, and you brush and floss it like a natural tooth. Longest timeline of the three, and it involves surgery.
- Porcelain bridge. Much faster. The teeth on either side are prepared as supports, which means reducing healthy enamel, and you clean underneath it with a floss threader.
- Full or partial denture. Covers several teeth or a whole arch, no surgery, comes out at night. It rests on the gums rather than in the bone.
Implants can also support a bridge where the gap runs longer than one tooth. Your bite, the neighboring teeth, the bone you have and what you want to live with all feed into the choice.
Living with an implant
Care for it like a natural tooth: brush twice a day, clean between the teeth daily, and keep your cleaning appointments. The crown itself cannot get a cavity, but the gum and bone holding the post can still be lost to infection — that is what those checks watch for.
Ask about dental implants in Gig Harbor
If you are missing a tooth, or you have quietly gotten used to a gap, call North Harbor Dentistry at (253) 851-4025 to ask what your options look like. We are at 14315 62nd Ave NW in Gig Harbor, and our service area includes Purdy, Port Orchard, Key Center, Fox Island and Olalla.